I’m a nurse – and ditched my NHS job to maneuver to Canada, incomes 50% extra

I’m a nurse – and ditched my NHS job to move to Canada, earning 50% more overnight and looking after a fraction of the number of patients – I’ve never looked back.

Audrey Barnwell, 50, found herself suffering from chronic physical and mental exhaustion for the first time in her life due to the demands of the job. Days off became recovery time, motivation to see friends and family was lost and colleagues were quitting the profession left and right.

Long hours saw Audrey, from Thornton Heath, Surrey, walk home late at night or very early in the morning, which left her feeling frightened and vulnerable, triggering thoughts of looking for a new life elsewhere. So, in 2008, she took the leap after extensive research on safe places to live – and Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada, kept coming up.

Speaking on behalf of the BC Health Careers UK Roadshow, which is taking place around the UK from Saturday (11th May) to highlight short- and long-term working options in British Columbia, she said: “I love the NHS and always will. It’s one of the UK’s greatest creations.”

“But, it’s also a working environment that is not easy to be in day-in day-out, for staff and patients. Resources are tight, hard-working people are underpaid, and when you’re stretched so thinly, it’s impossible to give the kind of care to patients they deserve.”

“The chances for something bad happening to a patient were far higher than they should have ever been, and it was a testament to how hard we worked as a nursing team that the worst case scenario didn’t occur.”

Upon arriving in Canada, Audrey was struck by the stark contrast. Audrey was amazed to see the nurses and all healthcare staff were fairly compensated for their work, with her salary increasing from £22,000 to the equivalent of more than £30,000 after her move.

In a significant change from her previous experiences in London, there were more beds, staff, and machines available to assist the staff in performing their duties more effectively.

In the UK, she was responsible for the care of dozens of patients simultaneously, whereas in Canada, she can devote her attention to just a few, owing to the larger team.

Previously, she was constantly exhausted after working shifts exceeding 80 hours per week in the UK. However, she now feels revitalized every morning, allowing her to wake up at 4am for a run or hike in the mountains, beaches, and trails before her 38-hour workweek, finding the fresh air particularly invigorating.

All while being able to advance her career at a much faster pace than she would have back home. Audrey is now back in the UK, advocating for the advantages of relocating to North America, whether for brief work holidays or as a long-term career shift.

She further stated: “When the healthcare system you work in is properly resourced, it makes such a difference to you on a professional level. And, on a personal level, it’s such a relief to be so much more financially secure and living in such a beautiful place. I’m sixteen years older than I was when I left the UK, but I have never had more energy in my life.”