mental health nursing - BT8

liverpool_gal

Hi,

I have been offered a Mental Health nursing job when i qualify in September in a unit under the four seasons healthcare partnership? Does anyone know what it is like beinga nurse in Belfast?

I will be moving away from home, i am from liverpool and just turned 25 years old.

I have a few questions about Belfast- the first one i am most worried about is religion? I am an atheist i dont believe in god at all. but if someone is preaching about god i wont be the happiest bunny - is there a lot of this in Belfast?

The unit is in Carryduff - is that BT8? Around old saintfield road? can anyon give me any info about where is best to live? any info on the area

What are the belfast people like? coming from a huge city that is Liverpool i am so fed up of the same things that happen here. At the minute i hate eit here the city is rife with drugs, the only thing anyone is interested in is alcohol and drugs, all the men seem to be complete idiots, i am just hoping Belfast is not the same as Liverpool!! The girl are not far behind the men either. So i think it is time for me to fly the nest.

Any advice!!?

el tel

Hello, welcome!

It's pretty quiet around here at times, but hopefully you will find the help and advice you need! Unfortunely I don't know an awful lot about nursing, and less so about mental health nursing. I woudl be very familiar with hospital healthcrae though.

I'm assuming that the job is in Knockbracken Healthcare Park on the Old Saintfield Road? If yes, that is a very nice part of the city where I'd be often and would be happy to live and work near. That said, there are a number of Mental health institions in the BT8 poscode, including the Purdysburn Hospital (on the Saintfeild Road)? Do you know the specific loaction of the place where you've been offered the job? In any case, the general Saintfield Road area around there is pretty nice and you should find no hassles.

Regarding religion - you are from Liverpool so there should be no problems. No one is likely to enquire 'what you are' or try to suss you out. Certianly not in work. Same for preaching to you. We have pretty robust laws bout that and it's probably not going to cause you any grief. Most sensible people in NI don't care about what eachother is or isn't.

With regards to living, my advice is always the same - avoid areas with flags.

I know Liverpool really well and I've always though of the city to be just like a bigger version of Belfast. The people are also very similar in terms of friendliness and humour. Though on a night out I dare say that in general the blokes of Liverpool are way more agressive than those in Belfast. I guess that's more of an English issue, rather than a Liverpool specific one. Oh and I think Liverpool girls dress up more and have better legs than the girls in Belfast. One thing I also noticed about Liverpool is that you would see loads of women in thier 40s-50s + out in the city centre at weekends on the lash, dressed up like complete tarts. You wouldn't see that as often or in extremis in Belfast city centre.

Have you had much experience working in nursing long? Will this be your first job? I can't really say much about the mental health side of things but I have found that in hospital medicine, UK hospitals are way better and more organised than in N.Ireland and that nurses in the UK are better and more capabale than those in Northern Ireland. So your ongoing training might be served better in England. Plus, I have always felt that in Northen Ireland, progression in medical careers is more often based upon who you know and not what you know. In the UK it is more meritocratic in my opinion. Just sayin'!

That said, there are plenty of people who have come to NI from England and are happy here. For them it's a bit like chosing the easy life; it's not so fast paced and stressful here.

Do you know anyone in Belfast, e.g. friends, or relatives?

Any other questions - just ask away!

liverpool_gal wrote: »

Hi,

I have been offered a Mental Health nursing job when i qualify in September in a unit under the four seasons healthcare partnership? Does anyone know what it is like beinga nurse in Belfast?

I will be moving away from home, i am from liverpool and just turned 25 years old.

I have a few questions about Belfast- the first one i am most worried about is religion? I am an atheist i dont believe in god at all. but if someone is preaching about god i wont be the happiest bunny - is there a lot of this in Belfast?

The unit is in Carryduff - is that BT8? Around old saintfield road? can anyon give me any info about where is best to live? any info on the area

What are the belfast people like? coming from a huge city that is Liverpool i am so fed up of the same things that happen here. At the minute i hate eit here the city is rife with drugs, the only thing anyone is interested in is alcohol and drugs, all the men seem to be complete idiots, i am just hoping Belfast is not the same as Liverpool!! The girl are not far behind the men either. So i think it is time for me to fly the nest.

Any advice!!?

liverpool_gal

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. It is Saintfield Lodge. I don't really know an awful lot about it myself. This ill be my first role since qualifying - so i will be on my 6 months preceptorship programme which is basically 6 months training until i can go and find my own two feet in the nursing world!! But finding a job here is proving pretty difficult and i suppose i have to take whatever i can at the minute.

Moving away from here would possible be the best move i ever make - i'm a home girl so im terrified of being away from my family and friends, but after that there is nothing here for me AT ALL. So its probably the best decision i could make.

No i think its just a Liverpool thing - we do take things to the EXTREME in everything. Its quite annoying to be honest. I dont know anyone in Belfast or have any relatives over there but im sure i'll make friends pretty quickly. I think i'm on the lookout for my future husband too because i know he isnt scouse, thats for sure!!

Im not sure if its a good or bad thing if they are behind in nursing compared to here, that either means i will hate it or i will fit and progress up the ladder really quickly due to my experience?! Hmmm... so that will be interesting. A lot of people say that though, that including scotland and Australia that in terms of mental health nursing most countries are way behind.

How far is the airport from Co. Antrim? I will be better looking for a house share won't i in order to meet new people and things? and join lots of clubs. I just need to remeber its a 50 min flight away - same from here to Manchester, so really its nothing!!! How far is saintfield road from the city center?

Thanks a lot for your help.

awec

liverpool_gal wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. It is Saintfield Lodge. I don't really know an awful lot about it myself. This ill be my first role since qualifying - so i will be on my 6 months preceptorship programme which is basically 6 months training until i can go and find my own two feet in the nursing world!! But finding a job here is proving pretty difficult and i suppose i have to take whatever i can at the minute.

Moving away from here would possible be the best move i ever make - i'm a home girl so im terrified of being away from my family and friends, but after that there is nothing here for me AT ALL. So its probably the best decision i could make.

No i think its just a Liverpool thing - we do take things to the EXTREME in everything. Its quite annoying to be honest. I dont know anyone in Belfast or have any relatives over there but im sure i'll make friends pretty quickly. I think i'm on the lookout for my future husband too because i know he isnt scouse, thats for sure!!

Im not sure if its a good or bad thing if they are behind in nursing compared to here, that either means i will hate it or i will fit and progress up the ladder really quickly due to my experience?! Hmmm... so that will be interesting. A lot of people say that though, that including scotland and Australia that in terms of mental health nursing most countries are way behind.

How far is the airport from Co. Antrim? I will be better looking for a house share won't i in order to meet new people and things? and join lots of clubs. I just need to remeber its a 50 min flight away - same from here to Manchester, so really its nothing!!! How far is saintfield road from the city center?

Thanks a lot for your help.

The airport is in County Antrim. Belfast City airport is pretty much 5 minutes from Belfast city centre. The international airport is about 30 mins away I'd guess.

For the reputation that Belfast has had over the years, it's probably one of the friendlier UK cities nowadays. Especially to "outsiders".

You should also know that Belfast is a small enough city. And taxi's are cheap!

el tel

The Internation airport is in county Antrim, and is about 35-45 mins drive from Belfast city. That's where the Easyjet flights to L'pool fly from. I used to travel the route a lot! Ryanair no longer fly to L'pool from the Belfast City Airport which is a shame.

Saintfield Road is about 10-15 mins from the city centre off-peak times. In rush hour traffic it could be longer. It is a long road so one end is closer to the city centre, obviously! The place where you have been offered a job is out by Purdysburn, a couple of miles from the place I guessed you'd be. Purdysburn was always know as the big mental hospital in Belfast, so much so that the word Purdysburn was synonymous with being a mental case.

I think a house share could be the best way to meet people, often people in Belfast have the habit of just going home to their families after work or hanging with their long-established local friends. In some ways Belfast is therefore not quite the social-melting pot as some cities. Put it this way, I wouldn't want to be relying on my work for my social scene in Belfast. Maybe it is different in the party-hard nursing world If you had an offer of going to Oz, I'd go for that. If you're stuck, I suppose there are worse places than Belfast! As you say, could be the best decision you might make. Sure if it's initially only for 6 months you have nothing to lose...

really you should get yoursef over for a weekend before commiting. Belfast is a good place for a weekend break.

liverpool_gal

Thanks.

Sothe cost of living is pretty cheap then compared to other major cities such as liverpool, leeds and london?

I will be coming over soon,i need to check out this place where i got the job as i only conducted an interview by skype - so i need to see what im letting myself in for. You can get return flights for £40 so its not too bad.

Is it rife and noticable with dugs - because the amount of people who are in to coke here is absolutley ridiculous. I hate it, Its vile. The men here seem to have no respect or disregard for womens feelings its just a horrible place to be!! So im hoping for a better reception there!!

X

el tel

liverpool_gal wrote: »

Thanks.

Sothe cost of living is pretty cheap then compared to other major cities such as liverpool, leeds and london?

I will be coming over soon,i need to check out this place where i got the job as i only conducted an interview by skype - so i need to see what im letting myself in for. You can get return flights for £40 so its not too bad.

Is it rife and noticable with dugs - because the amount of people who are in to coke here is absolutley ridiculous. I hate it, Its vile. The men here seem to have no respect or disregard for womens feelings its just a horrible place to be!! So im hoping for a better reception there!!

X

I would say that coke use In Belfast is nowhere like that in mainland uk. You will probably only see it if you go out of your way to find it. In that regard, it is not exactly rife with drugs here.

the cost of living here is probably comparable to Liverpool. Rent is prob cheaper, fuel and car Insurance dearer, consumables roughly the same.

aquascrotum

Purdysburn would be grand if you were keeping normal commuting hours and the area round Ormeau (the city end of Saintfield Road) is a popular area for young professionals with lots of house shares and rooms to let, without being too studenty. I know a few people who've lived in this area-ish (http://goo.gl/maps/W0cc) and have liked it. The farther out the Ormeau (southbound) you go, the fancier and more expensive it gets. You'd be commuting against the traffic and theres a regular bus anywhere on that route.

As has been said - if your looking for houses its an idea to avoid flags. Though bear in mind that your only really looking at the street your in - main thoroughfares will have flags at the minute for the 12th, its only really a concern if you go down the side street and the residents have added their own flags, painted kerbstones etc.

Belfast would be pretty safe in comparison to a lot of places - definitely wouldnt have the coke habit of a lot of places unless you go looking for it (that is unless I just dont be in those places, which is likely).

Would agree with all else thats been posted so far tbh - for all the length of the flight its worth a hop over to see what you make of it.