11 Ways NHS Nurses Can Earn More Money.

On July 5th, 1948, the National Health Service in the UK was born. With its simple promise of quality medical care “from the cradle to the grave”, the NHS became the world’s envy for several reasons. Firstly, it delivered some of the best health outcomes despite having below average healthcare spending compared to other Western nations. Secondly, it took the financial worries and risks of medical costs away from the British population, meaning no one avoided seeking care due to lack of insurance or fears of bankruptcy from treatment. How did that dream crumble so badly that an article entitled 11 ways for NHS nurses can earn more money, is even necessary.

How did the Dream of the NHS fail?

The noble dream of the NHS has sadly failed due to years of political mismanagement, deep funding cuts, rising demand, and short-sighted political decisions. Launched as a bold social experiment providing quality care for all Britons, the system now creaks under exploding costs it cannot afford and ever-growing needs it cannot meet.

Who Killed the NHS?

Savage Tory austerity since 2010 hacked billions from budgets just as an aging population drove unprecedented demand for services. Staff shortages have snowballed as nurses and doctors leave in droves, seeking relief from unsustainably packed wards and schedules. Wait times now stretch interminably for urgent care while vulnerable patients are neglected for lack of resources. Once the UK’s pride and joy, the NHS has become a catalog of care failures, with British citizens needing private insurance to access treatments deemed “non-essential.”

How Did Boris Johnson Kill the NHS?

During the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum, Boris Johnson and the Vote Leave campaign controversially claimed that the UK sent £350 million a week to the EU that could instead be spent on the NHS. This powerful message was plastered on buses and seen as pivotal in persuading voters to choose Brexit.

However, many experts criticized this claim as deliberately misleading. The £350 million figure did not account for the sizable rebate the UK received from the EU annually. Fact checkers also took issue with the implication that all this funding could somehow be redirected to the NHS after Brexit.

Boris Johnson and the Leave campaign were accused of dishonestly taking a defensible gross figure about overall EU contributions and presenting it as a definite net amount that Brexit would unlock for extra NHS spending. The UK Statistics Authority denounced it as “a clear misuse of official statistics.”

Yet Boris Johnson, in particular, stood by the £350 million NHS pledge before and after the referendum. Critics described this as blatantly lying to voters about nonexistent extra funds for the struggling health service. The then Prime Minister Theresa May later confirmed that this touted Brexit dividend for NHS investment did not exist.

So yes, Boris Johnson did channel misleading anti-EU rhetoric about freeing up EU funds for the NHS to win the Brexit vote. This pivotal claim exploited the English public’s deep affection for the NHS while likely overstating any potential savings from leaving the EU that could benefit the health service.

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My experience of the NHS.

I haven’t been to a doctor since 1976 when I decided to take responsibility for my own health. In 2015 my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, and he died in 2017. It is incredible what you can learn about a system while watching 12 hour chemo days in action! At that time, administering a cocktail of four or five different drugs over a 12 hour day was the treatment for cancers such as lung cancer, which had a fifty percent survival rate.

There was no money in the NHS For Treatment.

My husband’s oncologist told him that he would have to go to a charity because the NHS no longer funded cancer treatment. That was the first indication that the NHS wasn’t working; during his treatment, I spoke to many nurses all dedicated to their patients but run ragged by shocking exploitation by the non caring exploitative Tory government.

At one point, he started peeing blood. Not a drop of blood, but virtually 100 percent blood. He was rushed to hospital a nightmare three hour journey away. There was no urology ward nearer. He was kept in overnight as no one could determine why this was occurring. During the course of that long night, there was one NHS staff nurse on duty and a trainee or a nursing assistant. Seven men were brought in after they had hacked at their penis, either removing it completely or hacking it to bits.

I have no idea what pressures it took for the seven men to take the savage step of a home penectomy, I can only assume that they were denied psychiatric help. I do not doubt that alcohol was a fuel for this action. However, it still meant seven desperate men were admitted to an understaffed and over stretched night ward.

Later, I decided to speak to many nurses who specialize in Urology, and they told me that partial or total amputations were almost a nightly occurrence. Cases of genital self-mutilation are urological and psychiatric emergencies. Surgical and psychiatric teams must collaborate closely while managing cases of genital self-mutilation. That is the conclusion of one medical report. Sadly, it does not seem to be deemed essential to have psychiatric before the mutilation.

I cannot even begin to evaluate the strain this situation puts on patients and medical staff.

Let’s not even go there. How many nights would you want to go through that pressure as nurses? Even before the pandemic, research revealed an NHS nursing workforce feeling increasingly exploited and demoralized. A 2019 Royal College of Nursing survey found 54% of nurses financially worse off than 5 years prior – their stagnant wages and purchasing power eroded by sub-inflation pay rises.

Up to 9,000 nursing staff per year signed unreliable “zero-hours” deals amidst chronic understaffing – allowing employers to cancel previously scheduled shifts without warning while still expecting full availability from struggling nurses.

Pre-pandemic figures also showed the average hospital nurse working 1.5 unpaid overtime hours per shift – equating to over £6,000 in free labor annually. 40% admitted feeling pressured by staffing coordinators to take on extra unpaid hours simply to keep wards functional.

12%+ annual turnover highlighted poor retention linked to burnout and lack of support, while nursing vacancies across NHS England rose from 10.3% in March 2018 to 12% in March 2020. , this was only two months into the pandemic. The stage was set for crisis.

COVID-19 pushed an already exploited workforce to the very breaking point. Nurses battled understaffed schedules, covering overflowing wards with inadequate PPE supplies. A 2020 survey found 33% of nurses considered leaving nursing altogether post-pandemic – with many reporting pandemic-driven PTSD.

The pandemic devastatingly exposed the vulnerabilities of exploiting nursing staff through poor compensation, unsafe patient ratios, and expectations of unpaid sacrifice. Valuing nurses must be part of the UK’s rebuilding through competitive wages, safe staffing minimums, mental health support, and robust workforce planning.

11 Ways NHS Nurses Can Earn More Money.

1. Write and Teach Online

The key is identifying high-demand nursing related topics to create premium online training, resources, and consulting services. Wealthy Affiliate (sponsored link) provides the technology, training, and community to help nurses succeed as online entrepreneurs. You have invested years into your training and this method of earning more money means that your training isn’t wasted.Which is why it is ranked as your number one choice of the 11 ways NHS nurses can earn more money.

Wealthy Affiliate provides an exceptional platform for nurses to earn extra income by writing and teaching online. By leveraging your hard-earned clinical experience and knowledge, you can establish yourself as an expert guiding other nurses as well as healthcare consumers.

specific opportunities to monetize your expertise-

Start by launching an online blog or informational website through Wealthy Affiliate’s easy website builder and hosting. Focus on a nursing niche you have particular skills in – patient care approaches, specific chronic conditions, operating room techniques, leadership principles or even transitioning roles. Provide free educational articles and resources to establish credibility.

To monetize, place relevant display ads (Google AdSense) and affiliate links leading readers to nursing products or services you recommend. Wealthy Affiliate’s affiliate bootcamp trains you to drive referral income. Sell self-published ebooks and PDF guides leveraging your knowledge – from clinical skills manuals for new nurses to health resources for families managing illnesses.

Take your teaching further by self-publishing online video training courses on Teachable or Thinkific. For example, produce multi-module courses on specialized procedures, patient communication best practices or even clinical software education. Promote through your site and nursing groups on social media.

For more personalized education, offer paid online advising and consulting. Coach individual nurses on advancing specialties, transitioning roles or even navigating workplace challenges. Consult with health organizations needing customized staff training solutions drawing from your clinical breadth.

Additionally, teach paid classes on commercial platforms like Udemy on evergreen nursing self-care, clinical skills improvement or patient care topics. Join professional nurse blogging networks to write articles and adsponsored blog posts as well.

The options are wide-ranging for nurses ready to establish an online presence, systematize their knowledge into premium education products, and help both professional peers and healthcare consumers alike through conferred expertise – all while securing fulfilling self-employment. You9 don’t want to waste all that training do you?

2. Specialize for Higher Pay

Specializing as a nurse can be a rewarding path to not only provide better care in your domain of interest, but also typically leads to higher NHS pay bands reflecting your advanced expertise. Some of the most in-demand – and thus higher paid – specializations include working in critical care units, accident & emergency departments, operating rooms, and pediatrics wards.

critical Care Nursing

Critical care nursing involves caring for critically ill patients dependent on life support technology and complex pharmacological interventions. The high nurse-to-patient ratios and quick decision making under pressure demand stellar nurses. Intensive Care Unit and High Dependency Unit specialization pays over Band 6 given expertise needed. Accident & emergency nursing also involves temporally urgent care across traumas, cardiac arrests, strokes and more amidst high stress. Additional allowances recognize intensity.

Operating theatre nurses work alongside surgeons during invasive procedures, handling surgical equipment while ensuring sterile fields. Enhanced surgical, wound care and infection control knowledge is mandatory. Pediatric nurses address the specialized developmental, physiological and psychosocial needs of young patients. Both specialties progress nurses to Band 6.

Be Honest With Yourself

Before specializing, assess your strengths and emotional fit. Then explore associated higher diplomas and where to gain requisite experience. Realize that while specialties like critical care allow NHS progression to more senior bands and often extra hourly pay, the pressures and literal life-and-death stakes also increase substantially. Passion for your niche makes all the difference in managing intensity.

Additionally, specialty training such as a post-graduate diploma or Masters qualifies you for more advanced practice nursing roles. For example, a pediatric nurse practitioner role providing autonomous outpatient care. Savvy specialties like ICU or oncology nursing can thereby elevate you to highly paid Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Consultant Nurse roles up to Bands 8A-8D.

Furthermore, certain specialties inherently align with higher bands given heavy demands. Operating theatre nurses enter the NHS at Band 5 with higher starting salaries, progressing to Band 6. Mental health crisis, sexual health and occupational health nurses also see higher initial banding.

In summary, targeted specialization allows nurses to gain advanced expertise needed for management positions, higher-level nursing roles and inherently well-compensated wards. Choosing an in-demand niche accelerates promotion opportunities – be it fast-paced A&E departments or rapidly evolving ICUs. So specialize strategically to maximize NHS career progression.

3.Take on Leadership Roles

Taking on official leadership roles is a strategic pathway for nurses to obtain salary uplifts, progress their careers to more senior bands within the NHS, and amplify their professional impact. Some key options to consider including the following:

At the ward level, experienced Band 5 nurses can apply for the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse role overseeing the daily functioning of a hospital unit and supervision of all nursing staff. This department management role commands entry into the Band 6 pay grade through demonstrating leadership capabilities and strong clinical knowledge from years working the floor. Responsibilities also include staff scheduling, implementing care programs and protocols, and budgeting ward resources and supplies.

For nurses seeking to influence practices beyond their ward, Director of Nursing and Matron positions serve as executive leadership roles for entire departments or hospital sites. Directors appointed at Bands 8A-8D formulate nursing best practices and quality improvement initiatives hospital-wide, while Matrons coordinate clinical management and governance across multiple wards. Both statuses confer senior authority and compensation.

Pursuing nursing leadership positions accelerates short and long-term earning potential while cementing transferrable managerial skills for sustained career development. Leadership roles confer immediate financial boosts through higher NHS salary banding, but also enable long-term professional growth in several key ways:

Expanded Actual Wages.

In the short-run, department charge nurse and senior nurse manager roles enter the Band 6 and 7 pay grades – meaning £5,000 – £10,000+ base salary uplifts. Expanded actual wages also flow from larger recruitment and retention allowances to compensate the pressures of managing understaffed wards. Leadership also qualifies nurses for overtime rates which boost hourly pay for extra shifts. If the extra pressure of managing understaffed wards doesn’t appeal, you can revisit the number one choice of 11 ways NHS nurses can earn more money.

Longer-term, the management expertise gleaned from leadership experience remains professionally transferable. Nurses can translate people management, budget oversight and capacity planning skills into medical administration, quality improvement director and even Chief Nursing Officer roles. This expands options when seeking promotions in future.

Leadership also enables pivoting into university lecturer nursing roles down the road. Frontline experience paired with the bedside mentorship of junior nurses develops strong clinical teaching abilities. Nurse unit managers moreover understand varied learning needs.

Ultimately nursing leadership, while demanding, creates a ladder for multi-year career escalation across diverse institutions from the ward level up. So while boosted NHS salary bands motivate short-term, the managerial credentials earned also yield dividends across future trajectories.

4.Provide Private Home care

Offering private nursing care and visits directly to patients in their own homes can prove extremely lucrative for NHS nurses seeking to supplement their incomes. Registering with established homecare agencies as an independent contractor allows you to set visit fees and develop customized care plans for clients referred to you. Independently advertising your services can attract even more clients. As an experienced registered nurse, you can provide a full spectrum of medical and personal care services beyond the capacity of home health aides – from specialized wound treatment, medication administration and injection assistance to catheter changes and rehabilitation support.

Your professional assessment skills also enable identifying and responding to shifting client conditions. Meanwhile your bedside manner reassures. Rates of £40-60 per hour are common, allowing significant control over your income. However, realize home visits also mean no nurse colleagues for support, unpredictable environments, and near 24/7 on-call expectations from some clients. Set limits around maximum visit frequency and emergency response times before taking on home clients. But for flexible work opportunities that capitalize on your qualifications, private home care nursing can prove fruitful.

Setting your own hourly rates for home visits and care

The ability to set your own competitive hourly rates is a major advantage of registering as a private homecare nurse versus relying solely on NHS salary bands. By determining your fee structure independently, you can ensure fair compensation that reflects your level of experience and specialized qualifications while generating significant income growth in a nursing sector facing surging demand.

Independent Private Rates

When establishing independent private rates as a nurse, firstly research the existing market competitiveness for your planned services and calculate the basic hourly overhead you need to break even accounting for credentials, insurance, transportation etc. Then tier service fees by complexity factors – a medication review appointment versus catheter assistance visit versus 2-hour IV infusion session should have distinct pricing aligned to intensity. Clearly communicate what specialized expertise and availability guarantees underlie the value you deliver, justifying your rates. Start conservatively as you build a client base and reviews, then increase rates incrementally every year factoring inflation, rising expenses and proven demand. Establish minimum service durations and premiums for add-ons like short-notice scheduling. By covering costs, asserting your expertise through transparent pricing, and reviewing rates annually, independent nurses can establish lucrative compensation that might otherwise be capped by NHS bands. The key is determining rates strategically rather than undervaluing hard-won skills.

Advanced Certifications

As an experienced RN or nurse with advanced certifications, reasonably price your nursing expertise from £30-50 per hour when getting started. Factor in levels of complexity involved in client medical issues, care provision difficulties posed by home environments, distances traveled, unsocial hours home visits, on-call expectations and your personal cost of nursing liability coverage. Enhance rates over time as you gain returning clientele and positive reviews. Consider premium pricing for add-on services like accompanying clients to appointments.

Clearly outline your hourly or daily rate structure, minimum visit duration, cancellation policy, mileage fees etc when onboarding new clients. Set rate increases after periodic reviews of rising fuel/transport costs. Be transparent so clients understand the value delivered at set fees rather than undervaluing nursing skills. Adjust rates higher for clients needing round-the-clock availability or emergency responses. Say no to unsustainable requests.

Ultimately home care nursing means asserting your worth through self-determined rates – earning as talent and demand warrants rather than fixed NHS pay grade limitations. Renegotiate any agency contracts not compensating adequately as your reputation grows.

5: Tutor Student Nurses

Qualified nurses can take on adjunct teaching and tutor roles with universities, adult education centers or even privately to educate the next generation of nurses while earning attractive extra income. Part-time university lecturer positions allow practicing nurses to instruct classes on niche topics like infection control, mental health intervention or Ward procedures drawing from their expertise. More intensive teaching commitments as advanced practice nursing professors are also an option.

Building relationships with local nursing schools can also secure regular private tutoring requests helping struggling students master challenging coursework like advanced pharmacology. Advertise specialty offerings such as NCLEX-RN exam preparation. Rates typically range from £25-100 per hour based on your credentials. Keep materials updated through continuing education while refining teaching methods. Patient floor nurses particularly provide invaluable perspectives on bridging theoretical knowledge into practical clinical environments. Consider packaging your lectures into online courses nurse academics can license. By tutoring, nurses solidify knowledge foundations for future colleagues while benefiting through mentor relationships and earning beyond clinical work constraints.

6: Medical Legal Work

A fascinating emerging field for nurses seeking to diversify skill applications while earning attractive rates involves legal consulting – leveraging clinical expertise to provide insider healthcare perspectives for law firms embroiled in medically-related legal disputes. As nurses intricately understand care provision complexities, medical record nuances and hospital inner workings in addition to possessing analytical discernment abilities, your insights prove invaluable for attorneys navigating high-stakes personal injury, malpractice and product liability lawsuits.

Multiple pathways exist to capitalize on this demand. Nurse legal consultants review expansive medical histories to construct detailed case timelines identifying potential breaches in standards of care for investigation. Interpreting ambiguous terminology also assists lawyers anticipate care decision critiques. Expert witnesses earn premium fees providing live specialized testimony educating courts on reasonable nursing practices.

Savvy nurses can operate as self-employed contractors with medical-legal agencies, commanding £80-150+ hourly or £500+ daily. Choose your own flexible caseloads across this mentally stimulating field spanning healthcare and law – two profound fields of skill. Just be prepared for ever-rising litigation exposure and pressures as nursing contributions become increasingly pivotal for legal outcomes.

If confident as an objective authority in your specialty able to withstand courtroom debates over clinical care, legal consulting warrants consideration. Apply acute discernment abilities developed through years of high-stakes hospital decisions to this lucrative arena. Achieve the work-life freedom and intellectual challenge only niche skill hybridization brings.

7. Do Locum Work

Locum tenens nursing involves taking on temporary assignments with healthcare facilities needing to fill staffing gaps with qualified nurses. Ranging from weeks-long to up to a year through renewals, locum roles allow flexibility and variety without long commitments. This makes them an attractive option for nurses seeking to boost incomes while maintaining control over assignments aligned with personal interests and schedules.

Specialist nursing locum agencies connect skilled nurses like yourself with hospitals and clinics locally or nationwide facing vacant shifts. Reputable agencies include Healthcare Staffing Group, Holt Healthcare, and Locum Today catering from general nursing to highly specialized fields. After registering your credentials, locum agents contact you as needs fitting your nurse profiles arise in their networks.

Vet all locum assignments carefully beforehand regarding locations, departments, patient case mixes, onboarding support, workload expectations, and compensation packages. Negotiate guaranteed hourly base rates along with minimum weekly income guarantees through agents to minimize financial uncertainty from canceled shifts. Factor in productivity bonuses and loyalty rewards some agencies provide.

Strategically sample diverse nursing environments, specialties, patient populations and healthcare institutions through judicious locum selections without getting stuck permanently somewhere suboptimal. Build a portfolio demonstrating wide competencies. Locum freedom empowers this.

Also realize locum flexibility allows pausing for self-care breaks between intensive permanent positions. Temporary stints minimize burdens so you escape burnout. Just ensure licensure and credentials easily transfer regions.

With the burgeoning national nurse staffing crisis hampering recruitment pipelines, locum tenens provides upside income potential around self-directed scheduling for nurses wishing to retain career flexibility while benefiting facilities in dire need. Take control over your nursing path.

8. provide Private Health Care

Offering independent private health services allows nurses to tap into surging public demand beyond resource-constrained NHS limitations. As an experienced registered nurse, you can leverage credentials to open new income channels – from administering travel vaccines and medical screenings to operating mobile health clinics or partnering with private practices needing expanded capacity.

Begin by identifying underserved diagnosis, treatment and prevention needs in your community not adequately addressed by overburdened GP offices and hospitals. Assess local demographics and health profiles. Consider unmet needs of elderly, working professionals, new parents or chronic condition patients for instance. Research registration and regulatory requirements before marketing services.

Initially provide convenience-based offerings like flu shot clinics at office parks or schools. Expand into recurring monitoring and health education programs over time as reputation and patient rosters grow. Set competitive service fees fairly valuing your expertise and time. Package discount bundles to increase affordability while ensuring profitability. Advertise directly or tie up with complementary practitioners.

For those seeking independence, private nursing care proves rewarding, from controlling work settings and pace to practicing whole-person care ideals without NHS constraints. Just be prepared to manage all administration, supplies/overheads and insurance responsibilities. But delivered vision pays dividends.

9. Get Income Protection Insurance

Income protection insurance warrants strong consideration to financially safeguard nursing salaries if health issues ever prevent working – a critical backup for a physically and emotionally demanding career. Monthly payouts from quality insurers like AIG, Guardian and Unum equate up to 75% of current earnings should sickness or injury arise. This tax-free supplemental income fund allows maintaining your standard of living if suddenly unable to practice full duty.

However, scrutinize policy terms thoroughly first regarding monthly payout caps, elimination periods before activation, coverage duration per claim, mental health inclusion and exclusion clauses around pre-existing conditions or high-risk hobbies. Expect premiums running around £30-150+ monthly factored off age, niche risk levels and selected benefit caps. The investment offers peace of mind.

Weigh such advantages against downsides like denial risks if insurers invalidate arbitrarily to avoid expensive payouts. And remember, income protection only temporarily replaces salaries with no lump sum accumulations over time. So utilize alongside savings accounts or disability insurance for maximum security. Overall though, income protection proves essential disaster aversion insurance if unable to serve patients. Just ensure you select and document policies meticulously to guarantee promised coverage when truly essential.

10: Consider Job Sharing.

Job sharing presents an intriguing alternative for nurses struggling with burnout from overloaded full-time roles but wishing to remain in the profession with sustainability. Arrangements split one taxing position across two part-time nurses. For example, splitting four 12-hour hospital shifts by each working two allows better work-life balance. Improved ratios boost care.

This appeals to parents desiring more family time or aging nurses transitioning towards retirement by gradually easing workload. It also allows covering for one another’s illnesses or vacations to prevent gaps for manager scrambling. Peer supports enhances resilience on today’s understaffed wards. Just ensure compatibility with your share partner throughfrequent communications on patient status changes.

However, expect half base full-time pay rates along with complexity navigating benefits and leave accruals. Taking over mid-shifts means disrupted case familiarity. Accountability around shared performance outcomes also requires coordination.

Overall though, collaborative job sharing arrangements transform overly demanding nursing roles into sustainable dual parts – easing escalating pressures. Discuss creative options with hospital HR if burned out yet committed to keeping skilled hands serving patients into later career years. The flexibility benefits all.

11. Taking on Extra Shifts

Taking on additional shifts at your regular hospital is one option for boosting your nursing income, but many of you would say that this is the least popular of the 11 ways NHS Nurses Can Earn More Money. Asking ward managers about any overtime opportunities or open vacant shifts can allow you to pick up an extra 8-12 hour shift during days or nights when staffing levels are below safe minimums. While this does mean more extended hours and increased stress, the benefit is earning overtime rates – usually an extra £2-5 per hour depending on seniority. For some nurses, there is convenience in staying within the same workplace while helping ensure safe staff-to-patient ratios.

Register With Private Nursing Banks

Registering with private nursing banks and agencies offers another route to increase shifts and pay. Agencies often provide lucrative shift incentives, bonus schemes, and enhanced hourly wages to fill last-minute staffing gaps in facilities across the region. Experienced nursing staff definitely earn more money than in the NHS. The flexibility of choosing your additional shifts can make this option very attractive. However, expect assignments at understaffed and high-pressure hospitals in crisis. Support from permanent staff may also be lacking. Consider whether the extra earnings outweigh the risks of higher stress and burnout before signing up.

The Pros and Cons

When taking on extra shifts via internal overtime or external nursing agencies, carefully balance the pros and cons of your compensation, work-life balance, and emotional bandwidth. Set clear boundaries around maximum hours worked per week and days off protected for self-care. Prioritize hospitals offering positive working environments and support even during crisis staffing. Boosting income should not require devastating personal sacrifice.

The Prime Minister has an absolute genius for putting flamboyant labels on empty luggage.

Aneurin Bevan The founder of the NHS

Concluding 11 Ways NHS Nurses Can Earn More Money.

Yet suppressed NHS salary bands amidst chronically understaffed schedules containing unfeasible workloads continue threatening mass exodus from this profoundly noble profession. Inevitably this is accompanied by the loss of profoundly skilled, experienced hands able to save lives under immense pressures.The supplemental income pathways detailed across this guide’s 11 strategies provide real solutions. Struggling nurses with world-class capabilities are long overdue adequate financial compensation. By finally valuing nurses’ expertise fairly through enterprising side hustles, the hope stands of preventing further talent hemorrhaging from a system failing too many committed healthcare professionals.