Never applied for a job on a nursing job board before? Here’s a helping hand

If you’re someone who is used to using the internet on a regular basis but never before applied for a job on a nursing or social care job site before, here’s an introduction to how it works and how you can make the process work for you.

Applying for nursing and social care jobs online is now such common place that you will rarely ever fill in a paper application any more, but if you’re not familiar with how it all works, it can appear a little bit daunting. In this article I’m going to give you an insight into how it all works and give you hints about how to be successful using it.

First off, when you arrive at any of our sites whether that’s Nurses.co.uk for Nursing jobs, Socialcare.co.uk for Social Worker Jobs, Healthcarejobs.ie for Healthcarejobs in Ireland or Carehomejobs.com for Care Home Jobs, they all work in a similar way. If you’ve not registered with us before you will need to do so in order to apply for any of our jobs. Go to the Sign Up link on any of the sites to register, your login will work across any sites in our network (check out the logos at the top of this blog for which sites they are). Simply follow the instructions all the way through to uploading your CV and once you click upload CV, you’re done. You can now apply for any jobs on any of our sites. You can only apply for a maximum of 10 jobs in a day, and that limit is part of our anti-spam policies, plus it’s not good practice for candidates to manage a potential 10 interview requests at any one time.

So you’ve worked on your candidate profile, uploaded your CV and now you’ve found a job you really like the sound of. Simply click apply and you will see a cover letter box appear at the bottom of the page. You can write a message to the recruiter in this box, and while your CV and career profile details will automatically be sent with your cover letter, it’s a good idea to give the recruiter a summary of your experience and why you’d be a great candidate for that job in the cover letter space.

When you’re happy with everything you’ve written you simply click submit. Your CV, career profile information and cover letter are automatically bundled into one email that goes directly to the recruiter who posted that vacancy. They are given your contact details and will either contact by you by phone or email, so make sure you are monitoring both!

Unfortunately if you don’t get a reply within 1 working week, it’s likely you haven’t been successful, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow it up with the company you sent your application to just to be certain. It’s always good to get feedback about the applications you make so that you know how to improve for the future. In order to find out the email address of the recruiter that received your application, simply check your email inbox because each time you apply, a copy of the application is sent directly the email address you registered with. If you haven’t received a copy be sure to check your junk folder in case it’s ended up there.

If you would like more details about this and to find out more, check out our careers toolbox article – Here’s how to find and apply for nursing jobs.

Summer time and the applyin’ is easy

Well, strictly speaking that might not be the case but traditionally the recruitment industry slows down for August because it’s assumed that everyone is on holiday. Now, I’ve always been of the opinion that if you want to improve your chances of getting an interview when you apply for a job, always try to be the best candidate that applies by submitting a tailored CV and a wicked cover letter. However, during the summer your chances could be even further improved because fewer candidates apply for jobs.

Don’t be complacent and fall into the trap of thinking that it’s easier because you don’t have to put the same effort into writing a great application, because you do, but it might just go in your favour to apply at this time of year as you could be in the minority. It only takes one great candidate to fill a vacancy and if a recruiter has fewer unsuitable candidates to filter out, your great CV has a much better chance of standing out.

As always, if you don’t hear back within a couple of days there is nothing wrong with taking the initiative and finding a phone number to call the company on. Following up an application shows the recruiter you’re serious about the role and that they should take note of your CV.

Want to become a staff nurse? A simple way to do drug calculations

Anyone will tell you that if you want to become a staff nurse, you will need to be able to calculate drug doses from different strength preparations. It’s a key part of being a nurse that you have reliable maths skills and the ability to convert units of measure accurately. The word ‘maths’ usually puts people off, but it’s really only a simply set of principles you need to be able to understand and apply.

So here’s a simple explanation of how to understand the concept. The most simplistic calculation is:

Dose = (dose needed / dose on hand) x dose unit

For example: you have 800 milligrams to give and only 200 milligram capsules on hand, so the calculation is

(800 mg / 200 mg) x one 200mg capsule = 4 capsules

You can’t go wrong with this formula as long as you remember your dose needed and dose on hand must be measured in the same unit, whether that’s milligrams (mg), millilitres (ml) or the like.

Mental health nursing jobs available in both public and private sectors

In the current economy it may appear that there aren’t very many opportunities for mental health nurses to find relevant RMN Jobs. But if you can’t find any mental health nurse jobs in your area in the public sector, consider going for a private sector position.

You may find that even though you’re working for a private sector company, the position is actually based in the public sector. This can happen in cases where a public sector organisation has contracted with a private company to provide staff. So you could find you get the best of both worlds.

If you want to find out more about check out our article on RMN Jobs in the public and private sector.

Get a new nursing job to start the year

If January is getting you down and you feel like it’s time for a change in your career, whether that’s a new employer, an internal move or a new direction completely, this is the month to make it happen. There are 1000s of Nursing jobs including RMN Jobs and RNLD Jobs now advertised on Nurses.co.uk, and recruiters are looking for qualified nurses all over the UK & Ireland, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand to start asap.

Here’s 5 short steps to be assured your application will be taken seriously when you apply for a nursing job online:

1. Spend time on your nursing career profile and it will benefit you no end when your application is sent. Your nursing career profile accompanies your application and serves as a summary about your experience and qualifications before a recruiter opens your CV. It’s very important your career profile is complete and reflects your up to date employment and competencies.

2. Write a brilliant nursing CV to help put your application to the top of the pile. A brilliant CV should give your most recent nursing job title, employer and responsibilities near the top of the document along with your NMC pin number and professional development achievements.

3. A good cover letter is as important as your CV because it entices the recruiter into your application and gives them a good idea of whether or not you will be suitable for the nurse job you’ve applied for before they even open your CV.

4. Keep a record of where the application has gone so if for any reason you don’t receive a reply you can follow it up at a later date. Whenever you apply for a job through Nurses.co.uk, not only is a record of the application stored in your account area, but you also receive a copy of the application by email. This will also include the email address of the person that is receiving the email, and this is who you should follow up with if you don’t receive a response.

5. Make yourself available on all of the contact methods you have given in your application. So if a recruiter calls your mobile, make sure that if you can’t answer straight away that you return the call within 24 hours. Many candidates don’t bother responding, but it’s good practice to let the recruiter know if you still want to go ahead with the application or not.

Top 5 tips on how to use the year’s experience in your nursing personal statement

Whether you’re applying for a nursing degree course or your first nursing job, every experience you have from either work or volunteering is relevant to your personal statement. It’s who you are as a person and your life experience so far that will make you a great nurse.

Here’s 5 simple steps you can take to update your personal statement with new experience. You may think you’ve not achieved a great deal in the year, but that’s often far from accurate.

1. Make the most of new skills

Think about everything you’ve achieved in the past year, whether that’s new nursing competencies because you’ve completed a professional development course or better communication skills through working with a different group of people, they are all relevant. Make sure when you reference your new skills in your personal statement, you apply them to the nursing course or job you are applying for.

2. Give details of voluntary work

If you’ve worked as a volunteer with any group of society, that experience is valuable on your personal statement. Working with the elderly, children or vulnerable adults is great for a social care personal statement, but it’s also great for nursing. A large part of being a nurse if being able to communicate with anyone who is in your care to understand their needs and how you can best help them. The fact that you’ve worked as a volunteer is also to your credit, because it shows commitment to the care of other people, which is essential to demonstrate in your nursing personal statement.

3.  Analyse new responsibilities in your work

Whether you’re already working as a nurse, or you’re working in another industry applying for a nursing course, any new responsibilities you’ve taken on outside your original job description can be used in your personal statement. If you’ve volunteered to manage new tasks in addition to your current job role, then you definitely need to mention how that has enhanced your capabilities as a nurse or potential student nurse.

4. Look at your progress from last year

Reflecting on your progress over the past year, or since you qualified as a nurse will always help to remind you just how far you’ve come. Using a simple reflection model, such as Gibbs Reflection Model, can give you a framework in which you can analyse your performance throughout the year. Compare your progress to reflections completed in the past or keep this as your starting point for your career in nursing. When you’ve identified the improvements you’ve made, or could make, use this in your personal statement.

5. Grow your ambition

Ambition for the future is essential, and a great way to demonstrate your nursing career plans is to go into detail about your professional development ideas. Nurses are always expected to enhance their skill base and complete professional development courses to increase their range of competencies. Even if you’re not yet a nurse it’s important to show you understand that lifelong learning is an essential part of nursing.

December is still a good month to apply for a nursing job

So many people think that the recruitment industry as a whole basically shuts down for the entire month of December, but for anyone recruiting in healthcare and nursing it’s the ideal time to attract brilliant candidates.

It tends to be the really serious candidates looking for work that continue to apply in December because they are always on the look out for the ideal nursing job for them. So if you’re one of those candidates hanging back because you think your application won’t be seriously considered until the new year, think again and get applying now!

It could be to your benefit to apply in December because you will most likely be competing with fewer applicants for the same role. If you put together a brilliant nursing CV, a strong personal statement and a clear covering letter explaining why you’re the right nurse for the job, you will be in with a very strong chance of getting an interview. It’s about putting the right details straight under the recruiter’s nose. So your NMC pin number should always be at the top of your CV, your most recent job title underneath that and also stated in your covering letter along with your nursing competencies that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Make it easy for the recruiter to find out every single detail about your nursing career, even if you think it’s obvious. Go into detail about your current job role and responsibilities, and in particular the ones that are relevant to the nursing job you’re applying for. It’s all about presenting the information in a way that makes sense to someone trying to understand if you’re relevant for their role.

Shortened version of a nursing CV to protect your career history

Sometimes it can feel daunting posting all your personal details and nursing career history to an online job board. So, at Nurses.co.uk while we take privacy very seriously and will always do our utmost to protect your information, there is a way to shorten your CV if your choose to do so. After all, the purpose of your nursing CV is to get you another nurse job.

Rather than trying to adapt your old CV, start afresh in order to avoid the temptation to leave too much information in it. Begin with your name as usual, but instead of your full address and postcode write your current location and desired location. For example,

Current Location: Totnes, Devon
Desired Location: Within 10 miles of Plymouth, Devon

This actually tells the recruiter a lot more than simply giving your address, and it also protects your personal information. Same thing applies with the contact details, always provide an email address and mobile phone number. Both forms of contact allow you to be in control of when you are available. If someone does take the trouble to call you and leave a message, make sure you reply by phone or email to let them know whether you are interested or not. It’s just common courtesy.

Next you should give your current nursing job title, responsibilities, competencies and professional development achievements. This will give the recruiter a very clear idea of whether or not you are suitably qualified and experienced for the role you’ve applied to. You should also state if you are an NMC or ABA registered nurse, how many years nursing experience you’ve had and what your desired nursing job would be.

And that’s all you really have to say. If you’ve completed those sections in enough detail then you have given all the info you need to for a recruiter to make a decision about whether or not to contact you. It’s entirely optional whether you add your nursing career history, qualifications or other experience, but if you do stop at this shortened version, always make sure you state that this is a condensed version and a full CV is available should you be called for interview.

Finding the nurse jobs you need, when you need them

We’ve just launched the new look version of Nurses.co.uk. It will make searching for nursing jobs much faster and more accurate. You will be able to find what you’re looking for in shorter amount of time. We’re also working hard on our nursing careers advice section. Here you will be able to read interviews with real life nurses, get advice on writing a nursing CV or a personal statement for a nursing course application.

If you’re thinking of a career change into nursing, you can get advice about how to go about it, or if you just want to view the latest nursing vacancies, Nurses.co.uk is the place to start.

Stress: why it can be your saviour if you understand how it works for you

Stress is something that you will undoubtedly experience as a student nurse, and throughout your career as a nurse. It can occur for any number of reasons from a shortage of staff during a particularly busy shift, to a long and difficult assignment deadline looming. The key is to understand how the symptoms of stress affect you physically and emotionally, and to react accordingly.

Stress can be defined as “the failure of an organism – human or animal – to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats, whether actual or imagined”. (The Stress of Life, Hans Selye, 1956).

Stress can cause your body to react in a positive way that will enhance your ability to cope with a situation. The short term response to a stressful situation is that adrenaline is released into the blood stream, which quickens the heart rate and makes your senses more acute. This can help you respond more quickly and act on your reflexes.But if the stress continues to have an effect on you, cortisol will take the place of adrenaline, which will increase your blood sugar level to increase the length of time you can continue to respond at a heightened level of productivity.

However, if the original cause of the stress isn’t removed and your body continues to react, you will eventually becoming exhausted and your original capacity for dealing with with situations will be diminished. The body and the mind can cope with the effects of stress for a relatively short term period, but as the length of time increases, so does the chance of long term damage to your immune system. The cortisol in the blood stream reduces immune system function and decreases bone formation.

Long term stressful situations can be particularly harmful to diabetics because cortisol will counteract the effect of insulin potentially resulting in hyperglycemia.

To cope with a long term stressful situation, like a career in nursing, there are a certain things you can do in order to avoid the harmful affects of a stress response in your body. If you can recognise the aspects of your nursing job you find particularly stressful and develop coping techniques for these,  you can avoid being permanently under the affects of adrenaline and cortisol.

• Try not to avoid a situation thinking it will get better by itself, it could end up resulting in more stress than if you had dealt with it earlier.
• Develop a plan for tackling anything stressful that you can see coming up in the future, eg a difficult assignment or a member of staff you don’t work well with. Everyone is different and there may very well be a staff member on your ward that you would rather not work with because you don’t get on very well. A plan to tackle this head on and develop a professional working relationship with this person is vital to the positive resolution of a situation like this.
• Ask for help when you really need it. There is plenty of support out there, whether you feel you just need to offload all your worries to a friend, or you think it’s more serious and need a GP’s advice. Simply by putting your worries into words  often reduces the size of the stressful situation in your mind.