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"Dear Mr John Gray
Nurses have to pay £120 a year in order to work in clinical practice and regular as clockwork from 1986 I have begrudgingly paid my dues on time.
This time, and after much thought, I am going to let my registration lapse.
It is not a decision I have made lightly, as nursing has been an integral part of my identity since I was twenty years old, but now I am ready to let go of my last tie to a vocation that has served me well for so many years.
Ironically an old nursing pal of mine contacted me out of the blue recently and this afternoon I am meeting up with her and her husband in Chester for lunch. Her husband was an old patient of mine from my Spinal Injury days so the meeting ( our first since I left Sheffield) will be timely and oh so nostalgic.
Your registration expires on 30/11/2017
We recently emailed you to advise you that your annual registration fee is due. According to our records you have not yet paid this fee. It is essential that you pay this fee now so that your registration can be updated on time. If you have not paid the fee before your registration expiry date, your registration will lapse."Nurses have to pay £120 a year in order to work in clinical practice and regular as clockwork from 1986 I have begrudgingly paid my dues on time.
This time, and after much thought, I am going to let my registration lapse.
It is not a decision I have made lightly, as nursing has been an integral part of my identity since I was twenty years old, but now I am ready to let go of my last tie to a vocation that has served me well for so many years.
Ironically an old nursing pal of mine contacted me out of the blue recently and this afternoon I am meeting up with her and her husband in Chester for lunch. Her husband was an old patient of mine from my Spinal Injury days so the meeting ( our first since I left Sheffield) will be timely and oh so nostalgic.
I didn't know about this cost to nurses and think it's appalling.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteMy wife always resents having to pay that registration fee. Where does the money go? With computers, surely the annual re-registration is done at the click of a button. £120 for ten seconds of "work"! It's so wrong.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just a matter of keeping a register. The NMC does a lot of work regulating the profession to protect the public, not least against rogue nurses and midwives and nurses and midwives who are rogues. The process of investigating and adjudicating complaints costs money. They also regulate the Universities who provide nurse education.
DeleteBollocks!
DeleteNo they do regulate the universities and check for quality...ask the Prof
DeleteOkay. Of course I know that but when a woman has been a nurse for 42 years it's just rubber stamping from the previous year There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for squeezing an extra £120 out of already underpaid health professionals. It stinks so bad. That's why I said "Bollocks!"
DeleteDo Doctors have to be "registered" too?
ReplyDeleteI agree with YP.
ReplyDeleteHow many other professions have to do this so often as such a cost?
But..it is the last tie...onwards and upwards!!
I had to re-register with the Stock Exchange every year. Cost about £150. Professional bodies exist for the good of those who work in said profession or so they say. I have never seen exactly what they do except the re-registering of members each year and inventing more exams to be taken maybe.
ReplyDeleteHere in Ontario, teachers also pay a fee to belong to the "College of Teachers" every year. I'm pretty sure nurses have something similar. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI hope you got yours deducted from your tax bill John. If not you can claim back for the last 3 years (and it's easy to do too).
ReplyDeleteYou can also claim back any union dues - (which only nurses can do for some reason)
https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/staying-on-the-register/tax-relief/
I got a couple of hundred quid back
Thanks for that dan
Delete'As one door closes ....'
ReplyDeleteThe end of an era . . . .
ReplyDeleteMorning John, my Mum was a nurse too. She retired at 53 but kept paying her registration dues until 65. When asked she simply said if something happened to my Dad she could always go back to nursing. Thankfully my Dad lived 20 more years!
ReplyDeleteJust a thought...I left SW at 50 with a vow to "never again" and let my license expire. At 60 needed to bring in some $ and returning to SW was easiest and best paying - so there I was sitting for the licensing exam again with all the youngsters! Still working one day a week and coming up on 70. SW and nursing are fields where experience still counts for something. Difficulties in mind and body will always be with us, unfortunately. Best to you. Your blog is a daily treat!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the significance of that decision, John.
ReplyDeleteA BIG step for you, John...but a necessary one. Now you can fully look ahead to new adventures.
ReplyDeleteI let my nursing license lapse a few years ago too. It felt scary even though I hadn't worked in the field in forever. But...who am I kidding? I let it go.
ReplyDeleteYep. I have been letting my professional memberships lapse for a couple of years now. It actually feels good for me (esp. my primary learned society which I never liked). Time to be what you want to be, that's how I look at it.
ReplyDelete...ah... no more recerts, no more dues, life is good eh?
ReplyDeleteBefore we left California for Texas, I found out my dental hygienist license didn't transfer to our new state. California didn't have reciprocity with any other state, but Texas does with several states surrounding it. I would have had to go through the whole enchilada again if I wanted to practice---meaning finding a qualified patient and taking a practical exam, something you only want to do once. I let my California license lapse and ended up working part time in an ophthalmology office for about three years until the grandkids started arriving. It was interesting work and I learned a lot.
ReplyDeleteThere seems a licence for everything nowadays
DeleteA big step! But you know when the time is right!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard to let go. I kept my HGV licence until I was 66, then had to admit it was a waste of money renewing it again, as I wasn't going to drive again. 32 years on the road, seems like it was someone else behind the wheel now. Time to move on.
ReplyDeleteWow. The end of an era. I'm sure that was not an easy decision.
ReplyDeleteTime to journey down a different path eh John?
ReplyDeleteLet it lapse, life is more important.
ReplyDeleteA big step. A positive step.
ReplyDeleteMy grand daughter has to pay that to stay on the register and help keep children alive and well. It is a fucking disgrace, especially as she spent so much money to qualify and now has to spend so much money on rent to live in London to carry on nursing.
ReplyDeleteI think 25 £ would be appropriate but 120? A year?
DeleteThat is a lot on nurse's wages, and the London living supplement is a joke when compared to the rents.
DeleteMy registration will lapse in August 2020. Will not jump through revalidation hoops again!. No way!. Weeks of work not paid just to stay on register. Then pay £120. I,m too old n ugly to play the let us write shit they want to hear in a folder to be kept and signed by manager just in case asked for!.
ReplyDeleteRetire February 6th 2020
ReplyDeleteI pay $350/year to my nursing college. It supposedly provide me my malpractice insurance but all I've seen is them having lovely offices, hire extra staff to process applications to practice from nurses overseas, and come up more paperwork to fill up to keep the license.
ReplyDeleteAs a student in nursing college you should never ever carry out any nursing activities or procedures without a trained nurse supervising!. Generally would be the trained nurse responsible not you a college student. Don't get the malpractice bit ? Why would you need that when at college?.
ReplyDeleteTo be a painter there is no annual fee, just disappointment, poverty, and a feeling of worthlessness. I would happily have paid £120 if it would have guaranteed anything.
ReplyDeleteEmigrate to Australia, being a tradesman of any sort here is a license to print money!
DeleteGlad you’re comfortable doing so at your young age. Two,years age after I finally retired I was going to let my state license, nat’l certification, and malpractice ins., expire. Then I got a call from our nat’l office convincing me I only needed one or two more continuing education classes to renew, so I took them them and kept renewing for a couple more years. When I think how hard I worked midlife to earn these, it’s hard for me to let go, but this year I have done so. I can’t seem to shake misgivings for doing so which I know at my age probably doesn’t make sense.
ReplyDeleteI'd be tempted to keep the registration up for now, you never know when you might want to do an odd day or two....
ReplyDelete