new career?

Re: new career?

Doolally — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:06:44 GMT

I did the foundation degree, which when I did it was 2 years one term although it's recently been extended at the RVC to 3years.

We did blocks of about 3 weeks at college followed by blocks at placement usually about 6-8weeks, then college etc.

At college the timetable was generally 9:30-4:30 with a half day on wednesday. To ensure you did enough hours when on placement you had to be doing a 35hr working week. So that left weekends and evenings to work, but you have to do portfolio and assignments/revision then .

The college found people placements but people were encouraged to find their own

Re: new career?

SmegSlayer — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:59:59 GMT

The course takes longer if you do it part time, you have to do a certain number of hours in order to qualify

half days would depend on the rota of your practice.

generally you do have to find your own placements

self- study time in practice is rare- as a trainee in 4 TP's and locum in another 4- all portfolio was done at home (or at 1am on night shift)

Re: new career?

Kim Buckley — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:25:02 GMT

I don't know anything about the diploma but I imagine you'll have to do a lot of placement within those 2 years to cover all the hours you need to spend in practice to be able to qualify.

Re: new career?

Heidi Young — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:57:53 GMT

So, just to clarify, does anyone think there is enough time in the full time diploma 2 yr course, to work part time enough to earn about £1000?

How 'full time' is the course? I know my nursing diploma said full time but we had an awful lot of half days and 'self guided study' time! Is this the same? With plenty of time?

Also do we have to find our own placements? (I'm in Scotland).

thanks in advance!

Re: new career?

SmegSlayer — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:36:16 GMT

[quote user="Claire 'Duke' York RVN MBVNA"]

[quote user="SmegSlayer"]

[quote user="Nicola Oliver"]

Qualified wages will vary greatly too - if you are in the south you may be able to get around £1200 a month still, and referral practices often pay better.

[/quote]

Just to say, I've worked in the south my whole career and the only time I got £1200/mth was when I was locuming

[/quote]

Actually just a note, if you have just qualified I wouldn't expect you to earn more than £1200/month, particularly as you have mentioned before that you locummed as an unqualified

[/quote]

But she would have to train first on less than £1200/mth, for at least 2 years

Re: new career?

Sammyannieantha — Sun, 23 May 2010 11:20:04 GMT

Hi heidi im a student vn and iv got a house with my other half and i manage but just to warn you the framework for veterinary nursing is changing and iv trained the nvq way so working and getting paid on the job and as i understood it theyr still unsure of the funding. xx

Re: new career?

Heidi Young — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:25:50 GMT

[quote user="kitten"]

can i ask you how a vet nurse would become a human nurse ?

[/quote]

Its a 3 year diploma or 4 year degree, the difference being you get paid to train to be a human nurse! I got £500 a month 10 yrs ago, so I assume it would be alot more than that now. Just be aware the patients do still bite and answer back!!!

Thanks for all your input x

Re: new career?

Claire Cameron — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:01:20 GMT

[quote user="Kim Blowing RVN"]

I could never be a human nurse! Yuck! You will def never find me going to work in the NHS.

[/quote]

Snap

Re: new career?

Kim Buckley — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:57:31 GMT

[quote user="kitten"]

can i ask you how a vet nurse would become a human nurse ?

[/quote]

I presume you'd have to go to uni and do the diploma/degree.

I could never be a human nurse! Yuck! You will def never find me going to work in the NHS.

Re: new career?

kitten — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:10:43 GMT

can i ask you how a vet nurse would become a human nurse ?

Re: new career?

SmegSlayer — Tue, 18 May 2010 07:41:27 GMT

i was in kent on £8500, in North London/Herts border on less than £10,000/yr and am back in kent now as a qualified and am still barely getting £1000/month

Re: new career?

Steph Worsley — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:37:09 GMT

living and working in the north west you would be very very lucky to take home thsat sort of pay, I'm only on that sort of money now after 3 years in referral and 11 yrs in practice and 7 yrs qualified

Re: new career?

Kim Buckley — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:04:14 GMT

In my last job I was taking home on average £1300 a month (depending on how many nights I did) and that was in Bucks.

Re: new career?

Claire Cameron — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:51:20 GMT

[quote user="SmegSlayer"]

[quote user="Nicola Oliver"]

Qualified wages will vary greatly too - if you are in the south you may be able to get around £1200 a month still, and referral practices often pay better.

[/quote]

Just to say, I've worked in the south my whole career and the only time I got £1200/mth was when I was locuming

[/quote]

Actually just a note, if you have just qualified I wouldn't expect you to earn more than £1200/month, particularly as you have mentioned before that you locummed as an unqualified

Re: new career?

Claire Cameron — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:55:33 GMT

[quote user="Elle Blake"]I love Hertfordshire, gorgeous place.[/quote]

I loved it! I'd have stayed if it wasn't so far away from home, and so flipping expensive to live there!

Re: new career?

Elle Blake — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:40:42 GMT

Ahh okay. I thought it was around there, but I wanted to check.

I love Hertfordshire, gorgeous place. I don't think I've ever been to Surrey...I'm in Warwickshire at the moment, but my last job was in Birmingham. So I'm almost South, lol!

Re: new career?

Claire Cameron — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:33:42 GMT

[quote user="Elle Blake"]

Just out of interest, where counts as the South?

(My geography is utterly terrible. I'm lost outside of my own front door, haha)

[/quote]

I, personally, count anything South of Birmingham.

I worked in Hertfordshire and Surrey

Re: new career?

Elle Blake — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:22:12 GMT

Just out of interest, where counts as the South?

(My geography is utterly terrible. I'm lost outside of my own front door, haha)

Re: new career?

Claire Cameron — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:01:00 GMT

[quote user="SmegSlayer"]

[quote user="Nicola Oliver"]

Qualified wages will vary greatly too - if you are in the south you may be able to get around £1200 a month still, and referral practices often pay better.

[/quote]

Just to say, I've worked in the south my whole career and the only time I got £1200/mth was when I was locuming

[/quote]

I disagree with SmegSlayer. I worked in the South and earned a heck of a lot more than that, I also have friends who live down South in permanent practices who earn £1200/month

Re: new career?

SmegSlayer — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:58:48 GMT

[quote user="Nicola Oliver"]

Qualified wages will vary greatly too - if you are in the south you may be able to get around £1200 a month still, and referral practices often pay better.

[/quote]

Just to say, I've worked in the south my whole career and the only time I got £1200/mth was when I was locuming

Re: new career?

Nicola Oliver — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:30:21 GMT

I know 2 vet nurses who were previously human nurses and they have said it was a worthwhile change. They have far less paperwork now and more hands on patient care.

Wages will probably depend on your practice and the area where you live. I used to just get minimum wage while training and because I was 18/19 at the time, it was only about £600 a month. I trained in practice, but you sound like you are planning to take the university route? Qualified wages will vary greatly too - if you are in the south you may be able to get around £1200 a month still, and referral practices often pay better.

It is hard work, but there is definitly job satisfaction. Good luck with everything and hope it works out for you!

Re: new career?

Sal the 1st — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:56:29 GMT

you might be able to still do your bank shifts, if you need to keep the same level of income you will need them to pad your wages out ( I think you may be in for a bit of a shock re wages in this job -I was earning only around the figure you need as a head nurse). Its good to see that somebody from the NHS is thinking of moving in our direction - its usually the other way round I hope you find what you are looking for