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5 Effective Ways to Keep Company Culture Positive in Uncertain Times
Employees are a company’s biggest asset. It is through a culture of three C’s - communication, commitment and collaboration that a company can show support to its employees in uncertain times. Changes could be afoot due to economic instability, political turmoil or reorganisation within a company. The question of how leaders can still keep employees engaged and productive will be raised. During uncertain times, your employees will be concerned about their career and if their job is secure or not. Therefore, they may not be as productive and focused as usual. What can you do to lead them as a team and cheer them on, while still taking care of the company’s changing needs? 5 effective ways to keep company culture productive during uncertain times Here are a few things you can do to take a negative situation and make something positive from it: 1- Lead with compassion: Address your employees directly instead of avoiding the topic of change. Listen to their concerns and show compassion to how they are feeling. If they are anxious, acknowledge their fears and see how you can create a balance between their demands and your company’s needs. If you have a long-term strategy in place, you will not be leading from a position of panic, but from a place of confidence. Ignoring people’s concerns and emotions will only create more uncertainty and will act as an excuse for employees to not care about the company. Show them you care and they will care in return. It’s a two-way street – be compassionate and the employees will do the same. 2- Manage expectations: Tell them what you would like them to do. Explain and communicate properly where performance expectations remain the same, or if the goals/targets have changed ensure they are aware of this. You might give them flexibility in their work schedule but with clearly defined targets to achieve so they can deliver results while not feeling detached from the company during uncertain times. This will also help them stay grounded because it will develop a shared sense of purpose. It will also re-affirm to your employees that you take care of their needs too such as flexible hours, and not just about your company’s profits. Increasing your employees’ sense of control over their work schedule will help normalize stress among them and they will stay loyal to the company. 3- Build & encourage team collaboration: Working as a team not only boosts the performance of employees but also brings better results in terms of profits for the company. Therefore, encouraging teamwork can not only lighten the burden on one employee but also results in better project management. Collaboration is key to successful workplace culture, especially in times of change. It builds togetherness and unity and a shared desire to succeed and achieve goals, rather than working in silos. A feeling of belonging can effectively boost employees’ morale and motivation to deliver their best every day even in times of insecurity and uncertainty. 4- Create a nurturing environment: During uneasy and turbulent times, the strength of an organization lies in the hands of strong leaders. A great leader spends time coaching them, rather than dictating to them. An effective leader nurtures them by empowering his/her employees and delegating decision making powers to a certain extent to his/her employees. When the employees have the authority and power to make decisions, be it on project level or admin level, they feel motivated. They think of themselves, not as a cog in the machine but an important part of their company who can bring positive results. Therefore, great leaders focus on creating a nurturing environment to let employees reach their full potential. 5- Inspire & praise your employees: Create positive energy among your employees by praising them where it’s due. Do not ignore their efforts and hard work. Make your praise specific and do it in front of their team, to show that you are proud of their work and that they are making a valuable contribution to the company. Praising will inspire others in the team to work better too. Your employees will feel positive knowing that their work is being recognized. Follow the aforementioned 5 steps to lead your employees and company for success in difficult times.
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Health Care Tips: Good Hand-washing Practice for Infection Control
It is important to understand why we should take extra care to control the spread of any viruses or infections using good hand washing practices. Hand washing is one of the best methods to prevent the spread of germs and keep yourself and your family protected as well as healthy. According to the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention), "handwashing can reduce the risk of respiratory infections by 16%" Think of it like this: if your hands are clean, you can save your life and others by stopping the spread of germs. Here is why good hygiene matters and what happens if infection or viruses spread fast: People can suffer and die, especially those using health and care services are usually more vulnerable and need protecting Infection is more likely to spread when vulnerable people are together Infection cost health care services huge amounts of money Infection can spread quickly affecting whole populations right across the world It can impact on people’s social and family life New diseases develop and old diseases reappear – infection never goes away Inadequate hand hygiene means a healthcare-associated infection which can result in patient death! In order to prevent or reduce the spread of infectious diseases and viruses, the “Chain of infection” must be broken. This can be done by appropriate cleaning and hand washing. Especially for healthcare workers such as nurses and healthcare assistants because they work in hospitals and take care of vulnerable people, it is crucial to maintain excellent hygiene levels. To protect yourself and others from germs: Wash your hands regularly with soap and water and dry them thoroughly If soap is not available, use an alcohol-based sanitiser but be aware that it does not kill all germs, whereas soap and water kill most germs. Unfortunately, studies have found hand washing compliance to be greater than 50% This is due to the lack of appropriate handwashing facilities, or complete ignorance. To become aware of the good handwashing practices, hospitals and care units should provide appropriate training to their staff. Good Handwashing Practices (Step-by-Step): These guidelines are given by the CDC, a government organization for disease control and prevention, please follow this to stay healthy: Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them. Here is a handwashing technique poster from WHO (World Health Organisation) to help you understand how to wash your hands properly: Source: https://www.who.int/gpsc/clean_hands_protection/en/ When should you wash your hands? Here are some of the times when it is essential before and after work to wash your hands and the steps involved to ensure good hand washing practice: Using disposable gloves: Before you wash hands, here is how to take off your gloves properly in a step by step manner: Pinch the lower palm of one contaminated glove with the gloved fingers of your other hand, and pull it toward your fingertips so that it rolls off your hand with the inside facing outward. Do not remove it completely, though. Now, pinch the lower palm of the other glove with the fingers of the partially-gloved hand, and pull it off completely by pulling it upward and inside-out. Do not dispose of this glove yet---hold it with the fingertips of your partially gloved hand. Then, insert the thumb and forefinger of your bare hand between your wrist and the inside-out cuff of the partially-removed glove. Use caution to avoid touching the outside of the contaminated glove with your bare fingers. Pull the glove toward your fingertips and then over the other contaminated glove. Dispose of the gloves in a marked infectious waste container. Wash your hands immediately with soap and hot water. Preparing, serving and eating food: Make sure to wash hands before, during and after preparing food. Also, wash hands before eating food. If you are serving food or caring for someone who is sick or has a virus or infection, then wash your hands before and after you serve food to them. Contact with your own and other body fluids: This involves all these tasks which means you should wash hands before and after doing these tasks. This list is not an exhaustive list but starting with these can help prevent the spread of germs: Handling clean and dirty laundry Using the toilet Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing Touching an animal, feeding them or handling their waste Touching garbage, taking bins out Treating a cut or wound Changing a child’s nappy Follow the above-mentioned guidelines properly to stop picking and spreading viruses and infections, especially if you are visiting anyone in the hospital or you work in a healthcare setting.
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Mental Health: Top 5 Tips to Deal with Change
Mental health is as important as physical health, if not more. In times of illness or major changes in your life, you might need to take extra care of your mental health. Change can be a catlyst for anxiety and can lead people to worry about the decisions they are faced with and the consequences they lead to. Here are our 5 top tips to help you cope with stress as a result of change: 1- Accept the change: The first step would be to accept the change in your life. Do not fight it. It's all about mindset. Sometimes, we don't acknowledge the changes happening in our lives and it makes it more stressful to deal with them and can lead to longer periods of stress and anxiety. Once we make our peace with it, we can not only put measures in place to deal with the change but also feel less anxious about them. 2- Ask for support: Sometimes just sharing your feelings can help you feel less stressed. So, just call one of your close friends and talk about your feelings. Talk to someone who you think will understand your situation or be empathetic. Avoid talking to people who may be inclined to mock or disreguard your feelinds as this can result in further negative impact on your mental health. If you are feeling lonely sitting at home, Skype of video call with your friends and family. If you think that talking to a friend is not enough, seek professional help from organisations such as Mind or your GP, in a crisis situation where you require immediate support the Samaritans helpline is 116 123. 3- Eat healthily: Food not only gives us instant energy but also keeps our hormones balanced. It affects our mood and overall metabolism. Therefore, choose healthy options instead of junk food. Avoid caffeinated drinks which may give you a sugar rush but then once the rush is over, you may feel low and depressed. Whereas, if you eat nutrient-dense veggies and fruits, you will see that your mood will not be as effected. You will notice that there will not be sudden fluctuations in your moods or hormone levels and you will see situations with more clarity. 4- Drink enough water: Drinking 8 glasses or 2 liters of water a day can help you feel more stable mentally and physically. Staying hydrated is not only for summertime when you will feel more thirsty due to heat. Drinking enough water during the day can help you bypass cravings for unhealthy alternatives whether it is junk food or alcohol or even drugs. You should avoid drinking alcohol as a means to cope with stress and depression as this could lead to further problems in the long term. 5- Do the activities you enjoy: Most of us have a favourite activity or hobby that which makes us happy and brings us a level of inner calm and satisfaction. It could be reading a book, a craft, art, DIY, Gardening, listening to upbeat music, watching a Netflix series or cooking. Find out what is it you enjoy most and do it often. It will keep your spirits high and your stress levels low. It is also a good idea to practice mindfulness - there are some great guided mindfuless videos available for free on YouTube. If you do not have a particular hobby or need more to occupy your time, maybe its time to learn something new. It could be a new language. Look for beginner lessons on YouTube and brush up your Spanish. Or maybe you are someone who always had an interest in learning a musical instrument, now is the time to do it. If you are into arts and crafts, draw a sketch or learn to paint or teach yourself to Knit. Again, you don’t have to join classes or go out to do it, you can do it from the comfort of your home. Look for beginner classes online or search for distance learning options. You will find many! Learning a new skill will give you a confidence boost and raised self-esteem will have a positive effect on your mental health.
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Employer Brand: Selling Your Company Culture in Job Interviews
As recruiters, we are sometimes given feedback from candidates that the Employer Brand and benefits that we describe to them in the pre-screening phase are often not conveyed well by the employer during job interviews and that they can come away feeling confused about the company culture. In real terms, this could mean that potential candidates are less likely to accept an offer or be swayed by a counteroffer from their future employer as they feel uneasy about the environment they will be moving to. Within many organisations, interviews can be carried out by multiple people who will all have a differing interview technique. Here are some tips you can give hiring managers to ensure that your Employer Branding message remains consistent throughout a candidate’s journey. Key steps to market your employer brand to potential candidates in a job interview: What to do before the interview? 1- Paint an honest picture: The first step would be to paint an honest picture of the recruiter so that they can sell your company to the candidate during pre-screening. It can be a great idea to invite your recruiter to your premises so that they have seen the work environment and possibly even have the opportunity to speak to other staff members who are in similar roles. This will also help them sell the role with more knowledge. If the recruiter can talk to the hiring manager and discuss the job role at hand, the recruiter will have a greater understanding of the role and the job advert/job description will reflect this. 2- Optimise your website and social media: Work with your marketing department to optimise your Work for us/Careers page so it reflects your company culture. If you have any charity events, fun activities, Christmas parties, summer holiday getaways together as a team or unusual benefits, highlight them with pictures and videos on your Work for Us page. Another great idea is to promote your work culture on all the company’s social media channels. If you know that your potential candidates hang out on Instagram, it is an apt channel to make your employer brand visible, using Instagram Stories and Live videos such as behind-the-scenes footage of the company. It will give an insight into potential candidates as to how it would be to work in your company on a day-to-day basis. Storytelling and case studies are a great way to achieve authentic content and you can feature these across relevant social channels including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. 3- Build your company reputation: They might go to Glassdoor and check reviews of your company, so make sure you treat your existing employees right so that you get good reviews. A lot of candidates check glassdoor for reviews or visit the company website, so it is important that they see a good image of your company. If you do recieve any poor reviews, make sure you respond to these on the platform to show that you are conscientious and take feedback seriously. Encourage your exisiting employees to leave reviews that reflect your company culture and their positive experiences. 4- Provide a quick guide to the hiring manager: You should ensure that anyone who is responsible for job interviews has had training and a quick prompt guide to the key factors and benefits of your company and its culture so that they can convey these during the job interview. A job interview is not just an opportunity for employers to evaluate potential employee but also for the candidate to get a good impression of the employer, this is critical in markets where there is a candidate shortage as jobseekers may well have a variety of employment options open to them and employers competing for their skills. What to do during an interview to convey employer branding? 1- Prepare in advance: Write down three things you already know about the candidate from their CV and ask them direct questions relating to this. This would show that you have read their CV beforehand and know what skills and experience they have. Instead of asking questions like, “Walk me through your CV” or “What skills do you have?”, prepare well ahead of the interview and ask "Tell me about your role at ABC LTD". Some general things that show your interest in the candidate are: smiling and making eye contact and looking engaged when the candidate is answering the question. Do not interrupt if you have asked them any competency question, instead make notes of follow up questions and ask them those once they have finished talking. 2- Check their LinkedIn profile: Take time to read through their CV and if they have mentioned a LinkedIn profile, check their history of previous work on LinkedIn. You might see that they have been recommended by their previous employer or colleagues which will give you a good indication of their work experience. It also shows that the candidate is good at interpersonal skills as he/she was able to get a recommendation. You can also see which skills they were recommended for the most. This will help you tailor your questions according to each candidate’s profile, rather than asking them general questions, which may not be specific to their skills or knowledge. 3- Tell candidates about their day to day responsibilities: Authenticity is a key factor here! Talk to the candidate about their day to day responsibilities. Tell them what will be expected of them. Mention what their key deliverables will be in the first quarter and goals they would work towards to achieve targets set for that quarter. 4- Convey company benefits and career progression opportunities: It’s not just about your expectations of the candidate but also what a candidate can be offered in terms of career growth. So, make sure to highlight any pieces of training and career development opportunities that you provide to your employees. Give examples of success stories. For example, if there is an employee in your company or the team they will be joining, who has progressed from being an apprentice to a senior level position in a few years, mention that to your potential employee. Any employee would want to know what compensation and benefits your company can offer to them, so mention if you offer benefits such as an enhanced pension scheme or life assurance. Even if you provide free fruit and beer to staff every Friday, highlight these perks. What to do after the interview? 1- Show them around and thank them: After the interview, show them around the office and introduce the team members they will be joining. If the candidate asks about progression, share real life stories of existing employees or themselves as a testimonial. After the interview has finished, saying a simple thank you can go a long way in putting your employer brand in the positive light. 2- Provide constructive feedback: You should make sure that a full de-brief is given to the recruiter for each candidate so that honest feedback can be given to the candidates regardless of if they are successful or not. This shows investment and is a great way to ensure that the word of mouth promotion of your company stays positive even if the outcome wasn’t what they wanted. They will be able to use constructive feedback to correct their mistakes for future job interviews. Are you looking for your next team member? We invest time to understand our client's culture, ethos, and values to ensure best-fit recruitment, maximizing the likelihood of long term commitment from candidates. Whether you are recruiting for full-time or part-time permanent positions Swanstaff will find the right candidate for your business. Please fill the form below and we will be in touch soon. Form ID:5382
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Social Care: CQC Inspection Checklist [Infographic Inside]
Are you adult social care services that are providing regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008? Then, you must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Who is the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and what do they do? The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates against the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. These regulations describe the essential standards of quality and safety for people who use health and social care services and these people have a right to expect these standards. Who uses care home services? A care home provides residential care for many people. These include older people, disabled people, people with a learning disability, people with long- or short-term health conditions or people with drug or alcohol problems. A care home may also provide services such as nursing care. What does a CQC inspection involve? According to Care Quality Commission (CQC), "Our job is to monitor and inspect health and adult social care services such as your local care homes, GP practices, and hospitals. We inspect these services to make sure they give you high-quality care and we give them a rating of ‘outstanding’, ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’. If a service needs to improve, we will take action to make sure this happens. When we inspect each service, we always find out whether or not it is: safe, responsive to people’s needs, effective, well-led and caring." An unexpected inspection from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can be a daunting experience for a care home. To ensure that the visit goes as smoothly and well as possible, you need to set aside time to prepare for what will actually happen when the day arrives. If you follow our handy checklist of 5 top tips to preparing for a CQC inspection, you’ll be ready on the day of the CQC inspection. DOWNLOAD FREE PRINTABLE INFOGRAPHIC [PDF] CQC Inspection Checklist 1 – Prepare your staff: A huge part of meeting the inspector’s requirements and impressing them will be to prepare your staff. The best way to do this is to explain what the CQC inspection is. According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), "The focus of our inspections is the experiences people have when they receive care and the impact the care has on their health and wellbeing. We make our judgements against the regulations, and the judgements we make are informed by these experiences. This is why inspectors spend a lot of their time on an inspection directly observing care and talking to people who receive care, their family and carers. They will check their findings in a number of ways, perhaps by looking at records, or speaking with staff, to reach their judgements." It is your job to explain to your staff why the inspection is so important for your care home. Make an effort to teach your staff how to communicate with each other and with the residents. The staff needs to be empathetic and respectful to the care home residents. Since learning communication skills takes a long time, start preparing after the day of your last inspection. Your staff does not need to learn all the complex regulations but they should have some understanding of some key regulations such as safeguarding and whistleblowing. This will come in handy when they will be asked questions about regulations and they can then confidently give a simple explanation. It is a good idea to help your staff prepare for CQC interview questions. This will help them to feel more confident and less likely to feel under pressure and on the spot. Here are some of the CQC interview questions that might be asked: How long have you been working here? What it is that you do here? How did you apply for your job? Do you have an updated job description / clear role responsibility, contract and staff handbook? Name one good thing you like about your work? Do you have any concerns? Do you feel supported? How are you treated by management and partnership? Did you have an interview when you applied for this job? Were references taken when you were appointed? Did you have a CRB / DBS check for the current position? Have you received training? What courses/training have you been on? Do you have staff appraisals? When was your last staff appraisal? How did you follow up on the objectives and action plan set out in your appraisal? Are you included in adding to the agenda and receiving meeting minutes? Where are the anaphylactic kits and are they checked regularly? Do you know about vulnerable adults and children? Who is the safeguarding lead here? What are the ‘out of hours’ arrangements? Are you aware of a whistleblowing policy? Do you feel free to blow the whistle if and when necessary? Do you know about the complaints procedure and can you describe it? How do you react when you read NHS choices if there is a complaint? Was there any significant event that you know about? Confidentiality and privacy – how do they work when dealing with patients/service users/clients? How do you treat people with dignity and respect? Describe the chaperone policy and procedure for chaperones? Are you a chaperone? If yes, describe your role and responsibilities? How are areas kept clean and tidy and do you have any concern about the cleanliness of any areas? Do you have an incident and accident book and where is it kept? 2 – Personalise your care plans Your patients are the biggest assets of your organisation. The CQC inspector will want to speak with them to get their views on the organisation and how it is run. You want the patients to give their honest opinion so instead of preparing them in regards to the answers they are going to give, make sure your care plans reflect the actual needs of your patients. Make an effort to create personalised care plans. For example, if one of your residents suffers from high blood pressure, make sure you have a short term care plan in place for immediate care. Patient feedback is essential in a social care setting. You should aim to provide the best care possible so you need to know what is working for your patients and what can be improved. It is important that you conduct feedback surveys to address the issues even before the inspection happens. CQC would see that you have thought about your patients' needs and made improvements in your care plans after the survey, based on your residents' feedback. 3 – Plan the day in advance Make a timetable for the day of the inspection so you and your staff know exactly what to do and when. You could also prepare a welcome pack that outlines the key members of staff that the inspector(s) may wish to speak to. This could include the staff member’s name, their job title and a picture of them. Ensure that you have checked if you are breaching any CQC regulations. If yes, create a correction plan quickly and improve your shortcomings. 4 – Gather all the correct and relevant information There could be a vast amount of paperwork and documentation that the CQC inspector could ask for. This could include; policies, HR records, patient information, and health and safety documents. Remember to include minutes of meetings where these topics may have been discussed. Here are a couple of things that CQC wants you to consider: Making staff aware of the methods CQC use to gather evidence. Making it clear that CQC doesn’t expect all staff to have the same level of knowledge and understanding. How you will be ready to produce documentation during the visit. If there is a valid reason why you can’t locate documents during the visit, the CQC inspector will usually allow you 48 hours to produce them. Including a contents page at the front of each care plan so that inspectors and your staff know what they can expect to find and where. Maintaining a folder that directs staff to where they can find information quickly, e.g. health and safety and training records. Keeping your records up to date, particularly training records Checking with the inspector before they leave that they have been provided with all the documents they have asked for, and spoken to everyone they needed to. DOWNLOAD FREE PRINTABLE INFOGRAPHIC [PDF] 5 – Don’t overthink it The CQC inspector will just want to see how the organisation operates on a day to day basis. Just remember to remain calm. If you will follow our CQC inspection checklist, then you will confidently face the CQC inspector as you will be prepared for your CQC inspection. Are you looking to hire staff for your social care setting? Please fill in the form given below and we will be in touch soon. Form ID:5382 CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREE PRINTABLE INFOGRAPHIC [PDF]
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How to Become a Mental Health Nurse
Mental Health Awareness Week has got us thinking about all the different kinds of roles nurses play and what different roles there are out there and how every single one plays a part in impacting the lives of their patients. We have put together some information on everything you need to know about the role of a mental health nurse who can prepare you on your journey to joining this respected profession. If you are wondering why choose mental health nursing as a career, this article is for you! What does a mental health nurse do? A registered mental health nurse is responsible for planning and providing support and medical care to people with mental health problems. What is the average salary for a mental health nurse, UK? On average, a band 5 (newly qualified) mental health nurse will earn a salary of £22,128 to £28,746 per year. Do mental health nurses get paid more? That depends on your qualifications and level of experience. As you progress, you'll work up through the bands. The most experienced Nurses work at Band 6 or 7 with salaries ranging from £26,565 to £41,787. What are the qualities and skills of a mental health nurse? If you are thinking why choose mental health nursing as a career, then understanding if your interpersonal skills match with these skills will help you decide whether to pick this as a profession or not. Assessing and planning nursing care requirements Visiting patients at their homes Building relationships with patients Reassuring, listening and talking to patients and their loved ones Combating stigma and helping patients and families deal with situations Administrating medication Writing and updating patient records Liaising with doctors, social workers and other health and social care professionals Where can you get hired as a mental health nurse? The NHS General, psychiatric and secure hospitals Residential and nursing homes Community and rehabilitation units Special units within prison services What qualifications do you need to work with mental health? The main qualification you need is a Mental Health Nursing Degree. However, it is also desired that you have the following qualities: Good health and fitness The ability to empathise with people Good understanding of the theories of mental health Excellent teamwork skills Resilience Stamina Observation skills Communication skills Ability to stay calm and think quickly in challenging situations Skilled in decision making How to prepare for a mental health nurse job interview? If you are looking for mental health nurse jobs near me, then it would be good to prepare yourself for the job interview. Here are some common questions that might be asked: What experience do you have? What are the key tasks you think will be entailed with this job? What are the biggest risks of Mental Health Nursing? Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work for us? How would you handle complaints made by patients? How would you improve the quality of care provided? What’s the best approach to dealing with challenging patients and situations? Now you have an understanding of how a day in the life of a mental health nurse looks like, you can pursue mental health nursing as a career. Would you like to consider working as an agency nurse with Swanstaff? Then, fill the form given below and we will be in touch soon to match you with the role that fits you the most. Form ID:5353
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4 Top Reasons Why You Should Consider Agency Work as a Nurse
If you want a rewarding nursing career without some of the stresses of NHS nursing such as increasing workloads, lowering morale and poor pay, you can explore the option to work for an agency. There are many benefits of agency nursing; the top ones being higher pay rate and flexible hours of work. According to Adzuna, “Year-on-year pay for Agency nurse jobs has gone up 7.9% year-on-year, compared to an annual change of -0.4% for all jobs.” Agency nursing is becoming a preferred choice among nurses as hospitals are considering agency nurse job roles as a great resource to fill the staffing gaps. Here are some of the key benefits of agency nursing: 1 - Higher Pay Rate: As a nurse, you tend to get a higher hourly rate than for full-time permanent roles. According to the most recent agency nurse salary trends by Adzuna - a global job aggregator website, the average Agency nurse salary is £46,263, compared to the average NHS nursing salary of £36,435. Nurses are in high demand in the UK so if you want full-time hours you will not have any trouble achieving this. Equally, you will have the flexibility to choose a permanent role and work additional hours for an agency on your days off to increase your earning potential as a nurse. 2 - Skills Development: In order to expand your skillset and widen your career progression routes, agency nursing offers a variety of settings and training. If you want a higher pay rate, then you need to be an experienced nurse. A good agency usually offers training so you can upgrade your skills and have a better chance of landing nursing jobs with a higher pay rate. So, choosing an agency helps you build your career as a nurse. Here are some of the most common skills needed to be a good nurse: Good Health and Fitness Empathetic Adaptability Team Player Resilient Stamina Good Observation Excellent Communication Calm in Challenging Situations Quick Decision-making Ability 3 - Flexible Hours: Setting your own hours is another major benefit of working with an agency. You can choose the shifts you want to work on. For instance, if you want to work your shifts around childcare or other personal commitments then agency nursing is worth considering as a part-time nurse. If you've retired from full-time nursing but still want to have an income, then agency work will suit your lifestyle. 4 - More Work Opportunities: As an agency nurse, you get the opportunity to work in a wide variety of situations and areas. For example, you may have always worked in a hospital setting and want to move across to another department such as Elderly Care. With a temporary nurse role, you can build your experience in this area and gain relationships with one or more organisations who may then consider you for a full-time permanent nurse role. Would you like to know more about how to become an agency nurse? Then, please fill the form given below and we will be in touch. Form ID:5353
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5 Essential Items to take to Your Job Interview
Congratulations! You've managed to complete the first step in your search for a new job. You've got your foot in the door by securing yourself a job interview. You may already be excited but slightly anxious as your interview date approaches. You've done all the preparation you feel you needed to do and by now you're feeling confident that you're ready to tackle this challenge. It's the day before your interview and so it’s probably best to get everything you need to take with you together in preparation ahead of the big day, maximising your chances of acing your job interview. Wondering what you should take? Let me break it down for you... 1- A printed version of your CV This is a key item to take to your interview, although you will probably find that your interviewer has a copy already it is a good idea to have a copy of your own CV just in case they do not or if you are asked to talk through your CV you’ll have this as a prompt. 2- Your mobile phone Now this one may sound silly as there are not many people who don't seem to have their phone less than a meter away from them. Nevertheless, it’s worth putting it on your checklist. If you were to run into traffic on your way to your interview or needed to look something up last minute then you are going to need your phone to ensure you can call ahead and let your interviewer know you're going to be late, because of course, first impressions are important. 3- Copies of qualifications & certificates It is pretty common for you to be asked to bring along details of qualifications/certificates you have gained that prove you meet the job specification. Even if they have not asked you to bring them it is worth getting this prepared just in case! Make sure that you have all the official documents ready prior to your interview day to avoid giving yourself something extra to worry about on the day. 4- A notepad and a pen Ensure you take some form of notebook and pen with you, preferably a black biro because you never know when you're going to be asked to fill out a form. You can also use it to write prompts or questions you might want to ask in the job interview or to take some notes to follow up after the job interview. 5- A smart bag Now that you know what you need to take with you you're going to need a smart, appropriate bag to put everything in. Take some time when considering this, think about the environment you are applying to work within and decide based on this which type of bag would be most suitable. Are you looking for temporary or permanent work? Please fill the form given below and we will be in touch soon to discuss options that fit you the most. Form ID:5353
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Workplace Culture: Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S Personality Are You?
Over the years we have laughed and cried along with the TV series FRIENDS. In every situation, you find yourself, whether its job search or at work, you can learn a thing or two from these well-known Friends characters. So, which FRIENDS personality are you? Here are some career lessons that you can apply to be better at work: 1) Don’t bring your problems to work with you - Ross Geller Nothing is more unprofessional than speaking to your co-workers (especially a figure of authority) about the negative aspects of your personal life. Ross has anger issues and projected his anger towards his boss at work. Don’t be like Ross. Don’t cry over a sandwich. 2) Perform not-so-likable aspects of your job with a smile - Rachel Green Don’t assume that you will love every aspect of the job you are going for. Rachel thought she would never have to make coffee again, and yet she ended up doing the coffee runs for her new office. There is always going to be one or two things you would prefer not to do in your job role. However, if you love the majority of your duties then go for it. 3) Face your fears head-on - Chandler Bing Sometimes you are required to work with people who you would prefer not to spend your time with. However, you will need to swallow those feelings and focus on the work you are meant to be completing. You might think that you cannot decide on which career path to take. For example, Chandler worked at a company where he earned well but did not like the work. He then got out of his comfort zone and decided to leave that well-paid job to do an internship in an advertising agency, a career he wanted to explore. At first, Chandler ran from his fears of job security but decided to step out of his comfort zone and do something he actually liked. via GIPHY 4) Never agree to take a job that you dread the thought of - Monica Geller Never agree to take a job that you dread the thought of. This is wasting both your time and the employer’s time. It will also affect the other staff and their attitude as they may become hateful towards you if you are unmotivated and not doing your bit to contribute to the team. If you are already in a job you dislike then instead of suffering in silence, you need to figure out what is going wrong for you and talk to someone about it. See if anything can change, if it can’t, then maybe it’s time to look elsewhere. via GIPHY 5) There is nothing to be embarrassed about your job - Joey Tribianni The most important thing to remember about a job is to not be embarrassed by it. You are independent and earning your own money, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Joey tried to hide his job at the coffee house from the rest of the group due to the fact that he was embarrassed however when they all realised that he was an employee, they were nothing but supportive. 6) Be motivated and willing to go the extra mile - Phoebe Buffay Despite growing up living on the streets with no family or friends to support her, Phoebe managed to land herself a job as a masseuse and ended up being able to share an apartment with Monica. This motivation and willingness that Phoebe shows can be transferred into employment and shows that as an employee you are able to do anything you put your mind to as long as you are motivated and willing to do so. Phoebe is the most motivated of the entire group, are you like Phoebe at your workplace? Enjoyed this blog? You might like: How to beat the winter blues at the workplace 10 ways you can share happiness in the workplace How to manage stress in the workplace How to support your mental health in the workplace Are you searching for a job or looking for a new role? Fill the form given below and we will be in touch soon. Form ID:5353
