Download our FREE smartphone app on Android / iOS (iPhone)

Download our FREE smartphone app on Android / iOS (iPhone)
Android App

iOS (iPhone) App

Book shifts conveniently from your mobile phone with our FREE Android and iOS (iPhone) app.

Our app can also help set booking availability and inform you of any outstanding compliances you might have.

For new users, it can help you with the registration process and booking interviews.

Our app is FREE and simple to use.

Potential Career Path for Band 6 Agency Nurse in ITU Department

In the ITU or Intensive Therapy Unit, nurses provide consistent care and monitoring for the patients in critical conditions. It is the ward in NHS hospitals where mechanical and medical interventions are available for patients suffering from organ malfunctioning. For example, patients having difficulty in breathing are given breathing support on ventilators for the circulation of oxygen in the lungs. Since this ward has the equipment to monitor every bodily function closely, this equipment is often monitored by ITU nurses.

What to Expect from Nursing Care in ITU?

If you are looking for agency nurse ITU jobs, it is important to understand the level of patient care in this department. The patients in the ITU departments fall into many categories. Some will include patients suffering from a heart attack, stroke, organ failure, or after a severe accident. Another category will include patients admitted after major surgery for the administration of fluids and medications by IV.

What Do You Need to Become an ITU Nurse?

Although there’s no specific degree required for direct entry into an ITU department, you should have the right mix of skills and experience. Mostly, nurses with a degree or diploma can apply for an intensive care setting if they have the right experience. In a NHS hospital, Band 5 and Band 6 nurses will work in the critical care units. The salaries are excellent, and so are the benefit packages. However due to staff shortages in the NHS there is a need for agency nurses with the skill sets to cover and fill agency nurse ITU jobs.

What Are the Future Career Prospects for ITU Nurses?

After gaining experience of 4-5 years in critical care, you could progress to Band 6 Charge or Senior Nurse Charge. With these positions, you may also get an opportunity to do a master’s degree, become a mentor, or get training in an ITU-related subjects area like Advanced Trauma Nurse Training. Depending on the particular hospital and openings that become available, you may progress quicker through the ranks.

What Is the Salary Range for ITU Nurses?

If you’re applying for ITU nursing jobs in the NHS, you can expect to get paid a Band 5 nurse rate. The salary will start at £23,023. This will increase annually in accordance with NHS agenda for change pay rates to £29,608. A full list of pay scales is available on the NHS websites.

If you are going to apply for a NHS band 6 nurse ITU job the salaries will start at £28,050. This can increase to £36,644 over 8 years . The salaries in the private sector vary by employer. There may be benefits offered by NHS hospitals or private sector. So, you should check the job details clearly before applying.

The NHS will have to follow the above pay scales and pay points. The private sector may offer a more competitive package as the private sector does not have to follow NHS agenda for change pay rules. Often nursing agencies will pay a premium for highly skilled agency nurses that can run or manage and ITU department. To find out more on ITU jobs contact Nursing Personnel a reputable nursing agency in London.

Agency Nurse Mandatory Training

One of the questions that is constantly asked by agency nurse and healthcare workers is can Nursing Personnel accept my agency nurse mandatory training certificates from another agency or another healthcare provider? This post hopefully will explain and answer all your questions about agency nurse’s mandatory training including online training and face to face training.

The first thing to understand is NHS Framework agencies have to comply with NHS Framework rules around mandatory training, and the agency will have to provide to evidence to NHS auditors that healthcare workers have the required training certificates on their compliance file.

All training must be in line with the Skills for Health Core Skills Training Framework. A full list of certified training companies are available here. Nursing Personnel recommend Train Healthcare as they are certified by Skills for Health as fully compliant with the Core Skills Training Framework.

Can Nursing Personnel Accept Agency Nurse Mandatory Training Certs From Another Agency or Training Provider?

In order for Nursing Personnel to accept agency nurse mandatory training from another training provider (eg. another agencies internal training) that is not listed on the Skills for Health website as above we have to hold on file a certified signed document from the training provider confirming their training is aligned to the Core Skills Training Framework. Many agencies or training providers will not sign or provide this certified document and as a result we cannot accept the training certificate, as the quality and content of the training is not certified as aligned to the Core Skills Training Framework. Oddly enough even some NHS Trusts do not have their training aligned. The document we need signed to confirm the training is aligned to the Core Skills Training Framework is available here. As you can see this is a very detailed document and many companies do not want to complete this.

Agency Nurse Face to Face Mandatory Training

Face to face agency nurse mandatory raining, including basic life support and manual handling must be carried out face to face and cannot be delivered online. This training must be carried out within the last 12 months and refresher course must be done annually. The training must be to a level 2 standard. Level 3 cannot be accepted as some of the training content in Level 2 is not covered in Level 3 and this is a requirement by the NHS agency Framework operators.

Agency Nurse On-Line Training

Some of the mandatory training subjects and topics can be completed on- line. Again we will need to have on file certificates listing the subjects covered as required by the framework agreements. Examples include:

• RIDROR
• COSHH
• Complaint Handling, Equality & Diversity, Awareness of Mental Health
• Dementia & Learning Disability
• Food Hygiene & Safety
• PSTS/Conflict Management
• Fire Safety
• Health & Safety
• Handling Information & Information Governance
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Lone Worker
• Safeguarding Children Levels 1 & 2
• Safeguarding Adults Level 1 & 2
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
• RIDDOR
• Documentation & Record Keeping
• Mews Score Training

Some tips for agency nurses before you complete or consider doing your annual mandatory training.

Use a training provider like Train Healthcare that is listed on the Skills for Health website as an approved training provider. The quality of the training will be guaranteed to meet the required standards. Full details of Train Healthcare are available here.

Always keep your original training certificates as agencies usually need to see the originals to avoid fake certificates being produced.

All NHS Framework agencies will have to verify that the agency nurse mandatory training was carried out and an independent certified training provider will certify this much quicker than an agency providing their own internal training. This will especially be the case if you want to move or change agencies. An agency obviously will not want to see their worker leaving and will be slow to verify their training for another competitor agency. By using an approved Skills for Health provider you will not encounter this conflict of interest.

Some agencies will also charge agency nurses for training certificates as they know the worker is potentially looking to leave.

Accepting and verifying agency nurse mandatory training can often be a contentious issue between agency workers and the compliance team working for the agency. Our advice and top tip is always use an approved training provider where the training content and certificates can easily be verified. This will take the stress and aggravation out of approving your annual mandatory training.

We hope this information is useful and highlights the importance of checking the credentials of your training provider.

Soft Skills Necessary for ICU Nurses

ICU or Intensive Care Unit of any hospital or medical institute requires nurses who are proficient with offering critical care. This unit involves patients suffering from severe illnesses and injuries and those struggling with their lives. If you are looking for ICU agency nurse jobs then you must take this time to explore the most important soft skills that an ICU nurse must possess.

Commitment and Dedication

The role of an ICU nurse is incredibly challenging. You might have to work uninterrupted long hours taking care of unstable and critically ill patients.

Nurses having strong dedication and commitment to their profession are only able to file away some rewards like improvement in the health of the patient or keeping fatigue and anxiety away from the patient’s loved ones.

Critical care is an intricate job and must not be done only for financial gains. If you lack passion in your work then you will not be able to deal well with combative patients.

Strong Communication

This is essential for not only for ICU nurses but for all kinds of professions. Strong communication ensures that nurses are able to stay on the same track with their care team members and co-workers.

At the same time, nurses with good communication skills are able to consistently inform patients, convey them the healthcare condition of their patients. It also helps them to analyse data of the patient and plan the best care for the patients.

Critical Thinking

The patients today are very well-informed about the various healthcare issues, but still, a large number of them suffer from acute and serious illnesses. Some patients may have limited resources or economic challenges. An ICU nurse with strong critical thinking ability is only able to handle such situations.

Nurses must be able to handle issues and challenges as they occur. The healthcare industry is dynamic. Hence, the nurses must equally rely on their clinical knowledge and own wits.

Teamwork

Another essential soft skill for an ICU nursing professional is being a team player. The healthcare system is complicated, and a nurse is only one part of it. There are others also involved like specialists, physicians, medical experts, and more.

It is impossible to offer patients needed care and medical support without proper communication. Hence, an ICU nurse must be a strong team player.

Empathy

ICU agency nurse jobs are extremely complex. Hence, the nurses have to be very effective and can never be in a rush. They must be focused on getting the work done in a timely manner and simultaneously cater to the patient’s requirements.

The nurses must be empathetic towards patients. They must view things from the patient’s perspectives and show that they clearly understand their emotions and feelings. In addition to being empathetic, nurses must offer patients offer therapeutic and appropriate ways.

Ability to Analyse Dynamic Situations

Mental competencies are equally vital like other skills. An ICU nurse must be able to take decisions quickly. They must make rapid decisions and instant actions.

There can be situations of life and death involved. Hence, it is vital to scrutinise data and gather all possibilities in a very least timeframe.

HMRC Clamping Down on Umbrella Loan Schemes

HMRC are actively chasing contractors for tax on untaxed income. Some umbrella companies are offering nurses umbrella company loan schemes to increase take home pay.

Umbrella Company Loan Schemes Don’t Work

Some umbrella companies are paying contractors the minimum in salary and taxing this income as normal. However after the minimum payment is made to the contractor the umbrella company then is offering an interest free loan to the contractor to make up the rest of their salary.

An example: A contractor earns £ 1000 per week.

£200 is paid as normal and taxed as normal.

However the balance of £800 is then given to the contractor as an interest free loan, with no loan repayment contract or interest charged.

As a result the contractor is receiving £ 800 tax free. The umbrella company is charging a hefty fee for the arrangement.

HMRC have said on numerous occasions that these schemes don’t work and are clearly tax avoidance. Now HMRC are chasing contractors for the outstanding tax that was not paid on the disguised loan payments as they are deeming these payments as taxable. The latest spotlight statement issued by HMRC is available by clicking here

Agency Nurses Being Chased By HMRC

Thousands of contractors across the UK including doctors and nurses are receiving letters from the taxman with demand notices for thousands of pounds in unpaid tax. This has also been highlighted in the national press.

Any contractors that have been paid by umbrella company loan schemes are being advised to contact HMRC and notify them of the details. HMRC have stated that the tax on such schemes must be repaid by the 05th of April 2019.

Nursing Personnel would advise any nurse NOT to engage in umbrella company loan schemes and if you’re are concerned about any of the above please contact us or contact your professional adviser.

With NHS price caps and the new IR35 rules nurses and healthcare workers are looking at all options to increase their take home pay. However HMRC have stated that untaxed loan schemes ( umbrella company loan schemes ) and off shore tax structures used to avoid tax will be chased by HMRC. This has been reported in the Daily Mail (click) here and The Telegraph(click) news papers and some workers are facing bankruptcy and this is now affecting their mental health. This is not deterring HMRC from aggressively chasing unpaid tax and NI. Loan schemes have also been highlighted on the BBC and Money box. To hear and see the report how HMRC are chasing tax on loans click here. Nursing Personnel would advise nurses and healthcare workers to avoid these schemes at all cost as this will end up costing workers a lot of hardship and pain once HMRC catch up with you. Oddly HMRC seem to be chasing the workers rather than the sellers and promoters of these schemes.

Agency Nurse Jobs
Nursing Personnel nurse agency have an abundance of nurse jobs across the UK in all nursing specialities. We can offer competitive pay rates in all locations.

Should any nurse require more information on any of the above please feel free to contact us or visit our web site by clicking here