Ending nurse registration.

[Mick B]

Just a bit of a ramble. As I have now given up work completely, the NHS gave me early retirement a few days after my 50th four years ago and since then I have only dabbled in a bit of teaching, I can no longer justify staying on the register. It is odd, I didn't think I would care but it feels strange like cutting a tie to what I am and what I have worked (trust me, I wasnt a natural) at for 35 years.

[Sarah Rogers]

HI Eric- I synpathise, I was retired after 23 years- ill health- and like you I did not renew my registration- I agree it felt very very odd not renewing; life has a mysterious way of panning out !

[Magpie]

I, too didn't re register last year and still feel sad about it. It still feels weird and I found the letter from the NMC hard, no sign of a human thank you for your years of service.That would have been nice but obviously never even considered by the composer of the letter. Rant over!!

[wilfb]

Hi.

I did the deed immediately on retiring, and yes, it felt weird. But then I had a second string in education so I was willing to cut the thread after so many years.

But I do agree with 'magpie' - a human 'thank-you' after all those years would have been very nice....

Will.

[Mick B]

You are right about the recognition, or lack of it, but sadly the last few years of my career were thankless and I hated every minute of it. Along with many other nurse qualified managers with a few years in i jumped at the payoff so I have low expectations of employers and registration bodies.

[backman]

 I must admit to similar feelings when I retired,and had originally intended to maintain my registration with the possibility of some Bank shifts or independent sector work.My experiences of the management machinations of the NHS soon led me to believe the best thing for my sanity was to walk away(or rather run!)and I do not regret it in the least.My wife has 17 months till she can escape and she says she would rather a part time job at Waitrose or M&S than nurse in todays NHS.

[Mick B]

When I first retired I mentioned that I would keep my hand in with a few bank shifts, when the people I was speaking to stopped laughing, they reminded me just how bad it is on the wards. My wife left clinical a while back and is now a Senior RCN Officer and couldn't be happier.

[nursesue]

as a non-retiree- that date depends on the government so I could be 80 by the time its my turn The reason the NMC don't care is cos its thinking of ways of increasing our subs and moving the goalposts of re-validation Am I angry ?? you bet I am!!!

[myk1066]

I wonder what would happen if all the nurses on the register refused to pay their fees?

[eric]

I retired 3 years ago yesterday but am still registered as I teach a module for the OU nursing.  Agree that last few years at work in University were very thankless and when anyone left their workload was divided out among remaining folks. After several years and double or triple responsibilities I decided to take redundancy (despite loosing 15 - 20% of pension) as life is too short.
Since then I have never once thought of work.
Still on register I still have to keep generally up to date and hence attend any "free" updates available. Am also on committee of RCN History Network in NI.
Mind you its not too far away that all these will pass as well and I will have no regrets not paying the fee; although to be able to say that I am no longer a "nurse" will cause a loss as that's been my defining occupation for 42 years.

Getting thanks from anyone in authority now is not only rare but seems to be a sign of weakness. Must be a new type of management theory that starts at unit level and has worked itself up to NMC and government level (it may even be policy).
Everyone can be done without.

[backman]

I know exactly what you mean Eric,I do feel a great deal of sympathy for todays nurses.
Mike;As we know from recent history ,the chances of getting more than a handful of nurses to take any collective action is slim,Hence Government bodies can continue to walk all over them. If however a number did refuse to renew their registrations their employers would consider them as unregistered and therefore no longer eligible for employment as such.The days of Unions being able to take effective collective action seem to be long past.Having been on a fair number of protest marches in my time I do wonder what it would take for nurses to take to the streets nowadays?

[Mick B]

Before I joined the RAMC in 1980 and started my nursing career I was an apprentice wagon repairer with British Rail for 4 years, now the NUR knew how to strike and did it with good effect, the problem was that as we were very well paid and the conditions were excellent we were usually brought out in sympathy with our 'brothers' in other unions because we didn't have any reasons of our own.