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U.K. Nursing Jobs
Whether you are looking at Britain with one eye on a working holiday
or on long-term immigration the sheer size and scope of the health
sector in the United Kingdom offers many great possibilities for
nurses from overseas to enhance their careers and gain valuable
experience. As with most Western countries at present however there
are strict rules governing immigration, visas, and the right to
practice as a registered nurse requires documentary proof of your
qualifications as well as your suitability for entry into the U.K.
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Looking for a nursing position in the U.K. can be done directly
through the multitude of health boards, private and public hospitals,
or through the endless list of private agencies that are peppered
across the U.K. One note to keep in mind is that some of these agencies
will insist that not many organizations will accept applications
directly from applicants from abroad. This is patently untrue and
is solely designed to force people to use their (paid for) services.
While the Internet has increased the number of applicants from abroad
applying for any particular job, organizations in the U.K. are still
willing and appreciative to hear from suitable, qualified people
looking for work. The emphasis however is on suitable, qualified
people and that means candidates with reasonable work experience
and qualifications as well as adequate language ability. Make sure
you meet the pre-requisites before applying for positions for you
own sake and for that of the employers.
Having said that however, you may feel more comfortable dealing
with a specialist agency and they should certainly have the expertise
to guide you through all the necessary paperwork and immigration
papers. In most cases where you are just using an agency for employment
purposes (as opposed to immigration issues also) you should not
have to pay any money for their services. When you are placed with
an employer that agency will receive a payment from the employer
for their services.
If you are outside the U.K. or the E.E.A. and are looking for a
teaching position as a means of immigration sponsorship, you may
wish to read our feature on 'Finding
Overseas Jobs' for hints, tips and strategies to help you locate
a teaching job in the U.K.
Broadly speaking the U.K. health sector is best thought of as two
distinct units – public and private. Private hospitals, as
a general rule of thumb, are normally in a position to offer greater
remuneration as well as providing a more up-to-date environment
to work in. Equally, private institutions are generally more specific
about the qualifications and experience that they require to fill
a particular role. Public hospitals in the U.K. on the other hand
are run by the National Health Service (always referred to as the
NHS) and are generally larger and all encompassing than their private
equivalents. There are approximately 1 million people employed by
the NHS, so the opportunity to gain a ‘learning’ position
in a public institution is far greater. Obviously the higher up
a person goes in both education and seniority the greater the financial
rewards thus the learning opportunities afforded in the public sector
hospitals can have good long-term benefits. |
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