Hinchingbrooke Hospital begins a new era under private management

Posted on February 2, 2012 by admin

The first ever business partnership in the UK between an NHS hospital and a private sector company has begun. Hinchingbrooke Hospital is now under the management of Circle, a company co-owned by its employees, and they are aiming to turn the hospital around into one of the top ten in the country.

The deal, which was signed in November 2011 and came into force yesterday, ensures that the assets and infrastructure remain the property of the NHS, the staff continue to be employed by the NHS, the patients continue to receive NHS services but the management of the provision of services with be the responsibility of Circle.

Circle have been meeting with staff over a serious of ‘partnerships sessions’ and have decided that the four areas they wish to excel in are: patient safety, patient experience, staff engagement and value for money.

Dr Stephen Dunn, Director of Policy and Strategy at NHS Midlands and East, said: “With the challenges the NHS now faces, new solutions are needed so services can be provided how and where patients want them, but at a cost which taxpayers can afford. Today heralds just that, a new chapter in creativity and partnership working.

Newly qualified nurses and midwives – use your placement experience!

Posted on January 30, 2012 by admin

If you’re a newly qualified nurse or midwife, or you’re in your third year of studying and about to start applying for jobs, this blog post is for you. As you will no doubt have noticed, the public sector is going through a recruitment low point, so the private and not-for-profit sectors are more popular as a jumping off point into your career than they were prior to this current economic trauma.

You need to make the most of your placement experience on your CV and in your personal statement in order to compete for the job vacancies out there. Even if a job vacancy doesn’t specify that they can accept newly qualified staff, it’s still worth applying for and your placement experience is the key to backing up your application.

Your CV should always be adapted for every job application you make – tailor it to work for you, and if that means putting your most recent placement experience at the very top, then do it! There are no rules with the order of your CV (except that your name and contact details needs to be at the very top!) so make it work for you!

If you have recently completed a placement in a similar environment to the job you’re applying for, that’s perfect! Make sure on your CV and in your personal statement you go into detail about the learning outcomes you achieved, how well you adapted to the working environment and the interpersonal skills you developed, such as communication and team working. Experience as a student is highly valuable, and can boost the quality of your application from simply being an NQ with no specific departmental experience to being an NQ with transferable skills from that very department into your new role.

Give yourself credit for all the work you’ve done and the skills you’ve achieved on your course. Even if it might seem obvious to you that this particular skill was included in your course material, if you learned it and then put it into practice on a placement – draw attention to it on your CV.

Don’t forget, you can check for new midwife jobs here, and new nursing jobs here, or search for your ideal job here.

NMC reviewed ordered by Parliament

Posted on January 27, 2012 by admin

It was announced yesterday that Parliament has ordered a strategic review of the NMC, and the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) will be leading the review.

The review is about “further strengthening the NMC’s leadership and governance”, and has been recommended as a result of the NMCs failure to sufficiently address the backlog of fitness to practice hearings. The debate in March 2008 originally raised concerns about the performance of the NMC, and the subsequent reports found that while the NMC was performing its statutory duties, it was not performing to the standard that the public should expect. Read the ministerial statement in full here.

The CHRE will announce the terms of the review in due course, and will be feeding back its findings in the summer. The RCN has welcomed the review with Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, commenting: “An effective, fit-for-purpose nursing regulator which can uphold professional standards, is vital for the public, patients and the nursing profession. The NMC must be able to deliver its core functions of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the public, and promoting high standards of professional conduct across the UK. It is crucial that the NMC has a strong professional voice in its leadership.”

Middle East nursing jobs as plentiful as ever

Posted on January 23, 2012 by admin

If you’re struggling to find your next career move in nursing, why not consider moving to the Middle East? Nursing jobs in the public sector here in the UK are not as plentiful as they once were, but there are still plenty of vacancies in a whole range of specialisms in the Middle East.

Along with finding the ideal job in the specialism you want, you could also be offered a package that includes:

Generous tax free salary
Free or highly subsidised accommodation
Free annual return ticket home
Re-location bonus in first month’s salary
Minimum of 6 weeks leave per year
Free healthcare cover

If you’re willing to consider making the move, there are generous benefits to be had. The working week is slightly different from the UK, usually Friday / Saturday are the weekend days, but your working routine will still be allocated on a shift rota just as you would be here. If you’re worried about the possible language barrier between the people you are treating and yourself, there are usually translators on hand for patients that only speak arabic, and it’s common for employers to offer basic arabic language classes for new nurses. The universal language of all medical personnel is English, so you will be able to communicate easily with colleagues.

Your concerns, questions and all the details of your application will be managed by the agency you apply through. They will handle your enquiry from start to finish, as well as supporting you as the make the move. Follow this link to find out more about Middle East Nursing Jobs, or read more about the lifestyle and what you can expect if you decide to move to the Middle East for a Job.

How to get more information about a job posted here

Posted on January 20, 2012 by admin

We’re really happy that you’re thinking about applying for a job through Nurses.co.uk, but what should you do if you want to find out more information about a particular vacancy? Without a doubt, the best thing to do is go ahead and apply for the job by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ button underneath the job advert.

When you do this you will be offered the opportunity to write a covering letter before your CV is sent to the employer, and you should use that space to ask the employer to contact you with more information about the job.

Unfortunately we’re not able to help directly with any more info about the job, and if you call us you will be phoning the company that manages this website! Not that we don’t love to talk to you, because we’re happy to help, but we don’t have the information you’re after – only the employer can provide that (and that’s not us).

So, if you’re ever unsure about the details given in a job vacancy, apply through the site to register your interest, and this will send the employer a copy of your CV. They will get in touch with you, if you match their requirements, to tell you all the information you will need to decide if you want to proceed with the application.

Good luck with your applications! Remember, you can always leave a comment on this blog if you want to ask a question and we will aim to get back to you within 1 working day.

RCN survey reveals CQC needs to be stronger and more efficient

Posted on January 17, 2012 by admin

A survey conducted by the RCN shows that while nurses are acutely aware of the role the CQC plays in championing excellence in care, there are areas of its work that require improvement.

The RCN surveyed its nursing members to get a better understanding of the general perception of the CQC, to find out about the issues its members had faced when communicating with them, and to get feedback on the quality and frequency of inspections. They devised a two tier system, which involved those of band 6 level and above being offered a more in-depth survey than those at band 5 level and below. The survey offered band 6 nurses and above a greater opportunity to contribute in accordance with their influence as leaders in quality of care.

The key findings of the survey include:

Nurses recognise the importance of the role of the CQC and believe that the CQC can play a role in championing staffing levels.
Support for staff is very effective in some areas, but that’s not universally consistent throughout the country.
Nurses highlighted areas that require significant improvement within the CQC itself such as speed and accuracy when dealing with enquiries or concerns, and frequency of inspections carried out.

The RCN has offered 10 points they would like to see actioned in order to improve upon the issues raised. These include ensuring every provider has an unannounced inspection every year, a standard two week target for responding to anyone reporting poor standards of care (which, if not met, will mean a review of staffing levels within the CQC itself), and a greater focus on enabling CQC staff to maintain their NMC pin while update their nursing expertise on a regular basis.

You can read the full list of recommendations in this document published by the RCN.

About to be a newly qualified nurse and looking for your first nursing job?

Posted on January 13, 2012 by admin

Firstly, if you are about to become a newly qualified nurse you deserve huge congratulations for getting through your course and your placements. It’s not a small achievement, and you deserve to feel pretty chuffed with yourself!

But now that you’ve finished your course, or if you’re about to hand in your final assignment and begin the wait for your NMC pin number, if you haven’t already been able to secure your first nursing job – we can help.

Newly qualified nursing jobs are difficult to come by in all sectors of the profession, but especially at the moment when budgets are being cut and recruitment is at a low point. You have to be sure that your application is going to get you noticed and is going to get you that interview offer. If you’re unsure exactly what path you want your nursing career to follow you have a great opportunity to be be opened minded in the job applications you make. Don’t limit yourself to one particular field unless you’re sure it’s the only path you want to take. Every nursing job you do throughout your career will teach you something different and give you different experiences, and getting your first nursing job is the essential first step.

Start by searching out vacancies in the geographical area you want to work in, try our nurses job search page as a good starting point. Not every job posted will specify whether they can accept newly qualified nurses or not, but you will be able to make an assumption on the level of the job by the job description and salary offered. There’s no harm in applying to a job that interests you if they don’t specifically state they can accept NQs, if you don’t try you will never know!

Your CV is the most vital tool you have in the job application process, so it’s essential that it really does your skills justice. You can check out the article on How to write your nursing CV as a third year student nurse applying for your first nursing job for more information on how to put together your CV. It’s a tough job market out there, so don’t be disheartened if it takes more a few applications for you to be successful, just take the feedback and move on. There is a job out there with your name on it, even if it’s not the one you first set out to find.

Also, if you are about to become a newly qualified nurse, or even if you’re thinking about studying to become a nurse – don’t forget to check out our giveaway on Facebook. We have 3 copies of the book “Nursing: Transition to Professional Practice” to be won. You’ve got until 27th Jan 2012 to enter, simply follow the link to see the giveaway.

Giveaway! 3 copies of ‘Nursing: Transition to Professional Practice’ to be won

Posted on January 10, 2012 by admin

Nursing Transition to Professional Practice We’re having our first ever giveaway over on the Nurses.co.uk Facebook Page, and it’s all courtesy of Oxford University Press, Rob Burton and Graham Ormrod.

We have 3 signed copies of this fantastic book to give away and all you have to do is click the competition link above and follow the instructions.

This book is an essential read for anyone about to transition from student nurse to newly qualified nurse. It will help you be confident in your skills, know when to make decisions and learn how to job hunt in an ever changing employment market.

You’ve got until 27th January Midnight GMT to enter to win one of three signed copies, simple go here and follow the instructions!

A good covering letter speaks volumes of you as a candidate

Posted on January 9, 2012 by admin

Whenever you apply for a job through Nurses.co.uk, you get the chance to write a cover letter each time you make an application. The cover letter box only appears when you click the ‘apply now’ button underneath a job, so you don’t have to worry about composing a cover letter that suits all your potential applications.

A well written, concise and tailored cover letter is a joy to receive for any employer. It’s one of the first things they see when they open the email that contains your CV and application details.

You can make a great covering letter that puts all your best qualities first by following these simple tips:

Keep the covering letter to a maximum of 3 short paragraphs, each with it’s own focus. The opening paragraph should introduce you and your experience, the second should give details of how your skills relate to the requirements of the job and the third should state your capacity to fulfill any special requirements given in the job description such as a driving licence, ability to relocate, flexibility with shifts etc.
Be concise, but don’t be afraid to highlight all your best, most relevant skills.
Use the job description / person specification when constructing your covering letter, it will help you to pinpoint the skills you have that are required for the job.

Cross-party talks aim to reform social care sector

Posted on January 5, 2012 by admin

Social care services across England have been described as failing and leaving vulnerable people open to “abuse and neglect in parts of the care system”. In an open letter published in the Telegraph on Tues 3rd Jan 2012, more than 60 signatories ranging from government advisors to independent experts highlighted the plight of an estimated 800,000 older people currently not receiving the care services they need.

The letter highlights the sacrifice made by unpaid carers who are often family relatives forced to give up work to care for elderly relatives, and the price paid by those receiving poor levels of care, which results in the loss of their dignity and independence. The letter also highlights the burden on NHS hospital wards, which are often forced to admit patients who might otherwise be able to remain at home with the appropriate level of social care services.

There is a white paper due out this coming Spring that will give details of the proposed social care reforms, and all political parties are expected to gather for joint talks in the near future to work on this. Among other courses of action, they will discuss the proposal that care charges should be capped at £35,000 over an individual’s lifetime. With such a substantial financial contribution from each person on the table, it’s been suggested that the insurance sector will have to come up with a product that will allow an individual to protect themselves and their family from these costs. There are also suggestions that a deferment scheme could be created allowing costs to be taken from an estate after death.

The letter calls for “lasting reforms” and “a social care system which can provide the well-funded and high-quality care and support we would all expect for ourselves and our families.”