Northamptonshire is considered by many to be the ‘Rose of the Shires’.
As the cost of living continues to affect people’s finances and, NHS trusts in Northamptonshire are highlighting the nursing career opportunities across the county, which is one of the most affordable for housing in England for those considering relocating in 2023. Northamptonshire is considered by many to be the ‘Rose of the Shires’. As well as good value housing, there are excellent schools, good transport links to the rest of the UK and a fantastic quality of life which can give nurses a better work life balance.
One nurse that relocated from London to Kettering in pursuit of a better lifestyle for her family is Rebecca Prendergast who has seen her career blossom since joining KGH as a Band 7 surgery nurse. After qualifying in Brighton and working in London for 12 years at leading teaching hospitals, Rebecca was keen to relocate to a decent sized hospital that offered plenty of development opportunities.
Another reason to relocate was to buy a home for her family. In London, Rebecca and her husband had rented a flat without any garden and the rent was so high it had impacted their ability to save. They wanted to move to buy a house in a good area and settle down.
Rebecca said, “Kettering appealed on so many levels. We are close to both my husband’s family and mine. The cost of living is far cheaper than London, there are regular trains to London and Leicester, and we’re close to several airports including Birmingham, East Midlands and Luton.”
Rebecca joined the Surgical Day Unit at Kettering, which specialises in bowel and neurology surgery. It is a busy, acute ward and the nursing team see up to 50 patients daily who are admitted and prepared for surgery. They also help patients recover from surgery and manage their discharge from hospital.
Rebecca says, “Career-wise the move has been excellent. The surgery here is very dynamic and the ward is busy and acute, and the team have amazing skills. There are fantastic career development opportunities. We have a professional development team focused on improving how we provide care and, if nurses want to specialise in certain areas, there are opportunities to take further courses – career development is actively encouraged.
Rebecca adds “After working here, I realised that it is not only hospitals in London where nurses can really develop their careers. At Kettering, there are so many specialities for nurses and there aren’t any barriers to progression. Other benefits are flexible work hours, great for people with children and a very caring atmosphere. Staff are offered health checks and mindfulness sessions and there’s a real drive to promote staff wellbeing. Relocating here was the best decision I have made.”
At Kettering General Hospital there are a number of vacancies including for Band 5 nurses to specialise in planned surgical, orthopaedic, urology, breast and ENT patients. They are also recruiting a Band 5 nurse for an acute surgical and longer stay ward. The salary range for both is £27,055 to £32,934 per annum and the closing date is 4 January 2023.
At Northampton General Hospital there is a Band 5 nurse position to work in the emergency department with a salary range £27,055 to £32,934 per annum and closing date of 29 December. At Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust there is a Band 6 nurse role to work within the community mental health teams within the Kettering and Corby area. The salary range is £33,706 to £40,588 per annum and the closing date is 6 January 2023.
The trusts are part of the ‘Best of Both Worlds’ recruitment campaign. The campaign brings together the University of Northampton, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Northampton General Hospital, Kettering General Hospital (KGH), St Andrew’s Healthcare and Northants GP and aims to recruit nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals to live and work in Northamptonshire.
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