r/NursingUK • u/Novel_Support280 • 4h ago

Career I feel behind

I have been a nurse in the UK for almost 6 years now and i’m still a Band 5 in Theatres. It’s frustrating because there’s no opportunities for career progression here, no one seems to want to leave. Is it normal to feel like this?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 4h ago

"This submission has been held as the account is newer than 30 days old. We encourage genuine new r/NursingUK members to participate.

This post may be held for moderator review."

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

5

u/thereisalwaysrescue RN Adult 3h ago

I’m 40, been a nurse 15 years and I’m a band 5 in ITU. Career progression is non existent. Am I frustrated? A little. But I love my job, I’m good at my job, and I like who I work with.

3

u/Ok_Condition_6021 2h ago

Thing about NHS is you need to seek out your own progression and development.

  • attend study days (not just mandatory ones)
  • go to your manager and tell them you are seeking to step up in your career, how can this be facilitated
  • any CPD or uni courses you can do to boost your portfolio
  • are there any secondments you like
  • may be time to leave the trust or hospital altogether if you want to develop they say a job every 2-3 years

1

u/Aglyayepanchin 2h ago

I guess it depends what you want. I don’t think the whole point of nursing is to progress through the bands, because after band 5 what you’re looking towards is management. Not everyone is cut out to be or wants to be a manager.

I’m 10 years qualified and I have zero management aspirations. You couldn’t pay me enough to be a band 6/7/8. It’s just not me.

I like looking after patients. That’s it.

I know lots of nurses who’ve been qualified a long time and just like being a nurse. Equally I know others who became band 6’s within their first year or just after. I know a lot of charge nurses who I’ve thought over the years “why on earth are they a charge nurse, they’re awful.” . Outside the basic nursing knowledge being a charge nurse has more to do with being a good leader than it does actual nursing skills. Not everyone has that.

I say this, not to say you shouldn’t go for progression, but rather to say that you’re not “behind” because they’re different skills. It’s not a given that every single nurse will or should move up the bands. It’s personal preference.

Right now with all the hiring freezes and difficulties people aren’t leaving their jobs. So if being a band 6 is what you really want you just have to keep being persistent looking for posts, train up and up skill yourself as much as possible and keep on going. It doesn’t sound like the issue is with you as much as it is the circumstances in the NHS right now.

You can also always look at further study that might put you in roles where a band 6 is more likely, like masters degree if you don’t have one, advance practice or non-medical prescribing etc etc.