u/MadLadok

I am one of those that really enjoyed my Health Visiting placement and actually saw myself doing this line of work long-term.

I'm a newly qualified paediatric nurse, with a year experience in nursery and close to 5 years as a care assistant (all whilst I was studying in uni).

I know what I'm asking, I know I'm inexperience in actual paid clinical nursing and that I'll probably be on the younger side of applicants that may apply for this role.

So any input, advice or recommendations is welcome! From wherever parts of the UK you're from

So I've finished my nursing degree in Liverpool, am due to go back home in the outskirts of Belfast. I am so burnt out from the last three amazing years at uni so will not be making this decision anytime soon but would like some real-life input on this.

I have done a foundation degree at home college, went over the sea to attend uni before but have dropped out and managed to get onto this nursing course. So I am in my mid-20s and when I am ready to start work again, wondering if I should go to Belfast or Glasgow to settle? As I really want to just stay in one spot for as long as I reasonably can and settle my life down a bit.

My dilemma is that my family are in NI, but I feel being in my 20s, would Glasgow be a more dynamic and give more opportunities long-term. It helps to hear there really isn't a big difference other than size between the two city and a 2-hour ferry (Liverpool's ferry is 8 hours so it does make the difference regardless of the drive).

To anyone who moved from NI/Belfast to Scotland/Glasgow or vice versa, what has your experiences been? What would you recommend from your experiences?

Edit: Although I appreciate people advising me to stay in Liverpool, there are a few reasons why I'm not planning to at the minute:

1. Nursing Jobs - across nursing fields there are nursing students working as HCAs as they can't get jobs 9 months on from their qualification. Yes, the nursing recruitment freeze is a nationwide issue but, if I can say, it seems "worse" in Liverpool than compared to other cities
   1.5) the nursing students who did get jobs got them in cities like London, Leeds, Sheffield etc

2. Distance - my parents are entering their 60s and with death of relatives and health scares it made me priortise the ability to get home ASAP with a car as we live in a rural area

3. Change of scenery - a lot of coursemates are going home for various reasons and it just feels like a natural change to "close" this chapter and move onto other things and avoid being stuck in jobs in Liverpool that I don't wanna do or be stuck in

Does anyone get what kind of vibes I'm going for? I don't particularly care about associations as long it's not an overly negative one lol.

What surnames have you come across that you think is pretty? Surnames such as Gilmore, Gardner, Sinclair, Sterling, Douglas, Elyas/Elias, Lauren/Laurel, Lilley, Rose, Robin/Robinson, Pearson...

Google not helping and I'm trying my best not to use ChatGPT cause I'd be on it forever doing this. Be good to get actual, living beings opinions on this if possible. So, suggestions needed please!!!

From Northern Ireland, am in Liverpool at the minute. Finished my (Paeds) Nursing degree, with healthcare and childcare paid work experience.

I hate to ask, but how is the job market in Glasgow? I'm not expecting a nursing job straightaway, as I think carer work alone will give me better chances to relocate within "sooner than later" timeframe.

I'm currently eyeing up areas such as Newton Mearns, Mount Florida/Southside Central, Renfrew, and so on... And I know this gets asks a lot, but do you have any areas recommendation best for settling in?

I'm relocating purely because of needing a change after my time here in Liverpool (3+ years) and to be closer to family in Northern Ireland after a few funerals and scares. For anyone who don't know, it is so essential having a car to get around in Northern Ireland.

Ferry takes 8 hours from Liverpool vs 2 hours from Glasgow... like c'mon. Hopefully i'll be in Glasgow either before (late 2026) or after Christmas time (early 2027).

I just graduated from my degree (2:1) and my lease doesn't end until September. I'm so conflicted whether to go home or stay in my uni city.

In my uni city I have 2x jobs, looking around for flats to rent but haven't done any viewings just yet. However, after the grit and grind between my degree, my jobs, and personal life in general (eg friends, coworkers, social life etc etc), it is safe to say I am burned out. However, I've had my carer job since first year and the second in 2nd year in an attempt to move away from care-related job but it's hard with the cost of living. Also, I'm just mentally checked out of the city, and want to "move on" from it, if you get me?

But my hometown is rural, socially deprived and the house I'm living in is relatively small for 4x adults and a dog (3x bedroom, my parents don't sleep together because of snoring). It's still my home, when I get well rested and well fed, and be able to properly focus on moving on to work on the next chapter of my life. Also, working PT or even 3x days FT will help me save substantial money that I otherwise couldn't from renting. The worry is how long would this go on for? But then again I don't want to end up "stuck" in my two jobs in my uni city either.

I don't know if that answer is already staring at me in the face, but I kinda wanna get unbiased and unconflicted opinions on this if possible?

Just a little vent to get this off my chest lol

Firstly, nursing should not be treated like a degree cause it's simply isn't like a "normal" degree. And also... I can't be the only one disappointed with how my student nursing has transpired? I just wanna know how others found their experiences as a student nurse, maybe that'll help me feel better? Some newly qualified or young nurses have told me it gotten so much easier once they started practicing than how it was as a student nurse, so that's reassuring.

At first I found it to be amazing, then the stress, isolation and burnout hit big time. I only ever failed one first-year module (stressful), but has been getting 60s - 70s grades since, thankfully.

However, it's trying to get my online paperwork signed off and sorted for the next placement that's been a real pain. I don't know if it was my kind of luck, but I've been assigned to mentors that would delay doing this with me ("we'll do this tommorrow", then they never do, go on Annual Leave, off sick most of the time you're in, or for some reason don't have access to do what they need to do, etc). Not always, but enough to cause me to do a retrival placement as things should've been signed off when they weren't. Ever since, I've been put off and struggle to engage with placements like I normally have done. As much as I can be "proactive", managing my own assignements, employment, general personal life and then placement has taken its toll. Forget about even thinking about having social life, I hate being such a workaholic hermit, I've lost myself in all this. Hence, nursing shouldn't being a "uni degree".

Now that I'm at the end, I can confidently say I hated being a student nurse. I don't ever want to go through this again. Even at the end, I struggled to get everything signed off and am waiting for my poor burned out mentors to sign everything to truly put this behind me. I deeply feel for the mothers and single mothers doing this course, I sincerely admire them the most, honestly. I have met some amazing people though, so... yeah. But it hasn't been great. I'm too burn out to even tackle job hunting and I am in no way in a rush to get one. I'm definitely not do wards, it's just isn't for me.

Sorry about the negativity, God knows we deal with it enough but I gotta get this out somewhere, cause surely it can't just have been me?

Firstly, nursing should not be treated like a degree cause it's simply isn't like a "normal" degree. And also... I can't be the only one disappointed with how my student nursing has transpired? I just wanna know how others found their experiences as a student nurse, maybe that'll help me feel better? Some newly qualified or young nurses have told me it gotten so much easier once they started practicing than how it was as a student nurse, so that's reassuring.

At first I found it to be amazing, then the stress, isolation and burnout hit big time. I only ever failed one first-year module (stressful), but has been getting 60s - 70s grades since, thankfully.

However, it's trying to get my online paperwork signed off and sorted for the next placement that's been a real pain. I don't know if it was my kind of luck, but I've been assigned to mentors that would delay doing this with me ("we'll do this tommorrow", then they never do, go on Annual Leave, off sick most of the time you're in, or for some reason don't have access to do what they need to do, etc). Not always, but enough to cause me to do a retrival placement as things should've been signed off when they weren't. Ever since, I've been put off and struggle to engage with placements like I normally have done. As much as I can be "proactive", managing my own assignements, employment, general personal life and then placement has taken its toll. Forget about even thinking about having social life, I hate being such a workaholic hermit, I've lost myself in all this. Hence, nursing shouldn't being a "uni degree".

Now that I'm at the end, I can confidently say I hated being a student nurse. I don't ever want to go through this again. Even at the end, I struggled to get everything signed off and am waiting for my poor burned out mentors to sign everything to truly put this behind me. I deeply feel for the mothers and single mothers doing this course, I sincerely admire them the most, honestly. I have met some amazing people though, so... yeah. But it hasn't been great. I'm too burn out to even tackle job hunting and I am in no way in a rush to get one. I'm definitely not do wards, it's just isn't for me.

Sorry about the negativity, God knows we deal with it enough but I gotta get this out somewhere, cause surely it can't just have been me?

I'm hoping to make a move to Scotland after doing my nursing degree in England in the last three years. I would to make this move because it would be easier for me to travel back and forth to Ireland with a car.

I will be staying in England for the next few months to boost my savings before I move. I got an emergency fund and 6-months essential fund covered.

Should I try to get a job (I have experience in care, childminding and qualification in Nursing) or make the jump first by paying in advance with my savings?
What would be the best way to go about this?

Also, dunno if this is the right sub to post this question lol

Hi, so my name is Jessica and for a while I've been wanting to change my surname but struggle to stick to one. My surname is ridiculously common, so would like something more distinctive, versatile without being corny (e.g Jessica Rose/Snow/Jones...). If it helps, I'm from an England-speaking country so anything English/Celtic. I will not use previous maiden surnames in my family and want to seperate my identity from my 'family' whom I don't really talk to.

So far, I've considered:
Sterling
Gardner
Robin
Cathro/Kathro
I really liked Lauren (although keep pronouncing it like 'Laurie')

What surname would you give a Jessica? lol