Thanks to all who have sent in questions for our #STGNursingCareers chat.
We're now going to kick off and answer some of the questions we've been sent, as well as some of the common questions around nursing at St George's.
Do tweet us with your questions over the next hour.
Our first q is from Amadosi on Facebook who asked about overseas recruitment...
We recruit globally! You need equivalent standard of training to be registered here, have Eng language skills & will need to pass certain tests to start work. More info: stgeorges.nhs.uk/work-with-us/y…
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received in your career?
Sharon our Head of Nursing Workforce said: "One of my ward sisters advised me to not feel pressure to decide about an area to specialise in. The benefit in nursing is you can gain experience in many fields."
Our next q is about the other career options available for nurses?
Options incl. specialist clinical practitioner roles, education, research, wider management eg operational management or other patient-facing areas such as theatres. See our jobs page or healthcareers.nhs.uk/nursing-careers
Now a q for our Chief Nurse @avey_bhatia around the qualities she looks for in senior nursing colleagues.
Avey said: "Compassionate leadership, resilience and relentless desire to improve services for our patients."
@avey_bhatia Now another q from Facebook. Cathy asked about HCA opportunities at George's.
We hold monthly HCA assessment days where candidates are invited to sit a Maths & Eng test. If successful they are then invited back for an interview. For more info: Jacqueline.dsilva@stgeorges.nhs.uk
@avey_bhatia A question we've been sent was around standard shifts and working hours and flexibility.
Most inpatient areas offer long days i.e. 0730-2000 and nights 1930-0800. However we are a flexible employer and will balance requests for flexible working with the needs of the service.
@avey_bhatia I can’t afford to study for a degree – is there any other way I can train to become a registered nurse?
After 6 months you can take part in rotation to experience different clinical areas. If your initial role isn’t quite what you wanted, we can find the environment that suits you and your interests best.
We have a limited amount of accommodation and our accommodation officer can help you with advice and options locally. We know London can be expensive & although we are in SW London you get inner supplement so salaries for B5 nurses are £29K-£36K
"Being able to influence at a high level to improve & make services safer for patients now & in the future and supporting nurses, midwives & AHPs for their development and making time for joy at work"
@avey_bhatia@NHS_HealthEdEng What support do you offer to newly qualified nurses, especially those who didn’t train at St George’s?
Our Band 5 NQN Development Pathway includes clinical skills, our unique post-graduate level Kingston University-run development course, leadership training 1/2
2/2 nurse-in-charge training, opportunities for post-graduate study, rotation options to different services and much more!
Do you offer funded research and post-graduate study opportunities?
We have a unique development programme run by Kingston University for Band 5 nurses after they have completed their six-month preceptorship which gives you 30 credits towards a post-grad qualification.
Our final question is on what final yr student nurses should do to get the job they want?
Attend our Open Days! The next one is Sat 25 Jan, and be interviewed for services and wards on the day. If successful we will give you a job offer on the day 👇
"I have been taking hydroxyurea since the age of ten and I have recently started the red cell exchange."
Everyone's treatment journey is different and individual to them - hear from some of our patients about their experiences. #SickleCellAwareness#WorldSickleCellDay
"Having a good support system really does help me feel less alone"
In addition to treatment, some of our patients say talking and sharing their experiences with others helps them to cope with their condition. #SickleCellAwareness#WorldSickleCellDay
We want patients & visitors to stay safe when using our services. This includes observing social distancing; washing hands regularly; and from 15 Jun wearing a face covering when visiting our hospitals or community services. Our Chief Nursing Officer @BleasdaleRob explains why 👇
More guidance about wearing a face covering, and who is exempt, can be found on our website 👇
Today, NHS Improvement has published an independent mortality review of our heart surgery service at St George’s Hospital: stgeorges.nhs.uk/newsitem/heart…
The review found failings in the care we gave many heart surgery patients between 2013-2018, and we are deeply sorry for this. [1/4]
We would like to say sorry to the relatives of those patients who were let down by us – the care they received fell far short of the high standards they deserved.
We are in direct contact with relatives, and continuing to offer them all the support we can. [2/4]
Our heart surgery service is now safe, and the current service is very different to the one we took urgent steps to improve. This was confirmed by the @CareQualityComm in their latest report: cqc.org.uk/location/RJ701 [3/4]
We are asking friends & relatives to only visit patients if absolutely essential. They should also not visit our hospitals if they have flu-like symptoms, cough, fever or a cold.
If you really do need to visit, please only do so between 5-7pm (weekdays and weekends), with an absolute maximum of two visitors per patient.