Shift work.

Nursing shifts

If you are a registered general nurse, mental health nurse or HCA looking to pick up shift work, you’ll love what Sanctuary has to offer.

Why Sanctuary?

Sanctuary is one of the leading on-framework health and social care recruitment companies in the UK.

Daily Pay

We’ve introduced Daily Pay cycles as an option for those working shifts who are paid by PAYE.

Recommend a friend

We all know someone who is a fantastic healthcare professional and could benefit from working a few extra shifts.

Interested in shift work?

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More shift work information

Shift work allows you to gain broader work experience and take better control over your earnings.

Benefits of working shifts

What are the advantages of working shifts as a healthcare professional? Well, some perks are obvious with the additional income and flexibility of choosing when and where you work. But there are some additional career benefits too, which we explore below. More work flexibility Shift work allows you to work longer hours over a few days, meaning you have more flexibility over the hours you wish to work. This is particularly useful if you have childcare commitments or if you want to commit to a specific work pattern (e.g. night shifts) that perhaps you wouldn’t be able to do in your current job. Many nurses and HCAs like to work a variety of shifts because it gives them more time to do what they want to do outside of work. Top up your pay It’s extremely easy to pick up extra shift work when you need it. In the lead-up to Christmas or holidays, it enables you to effectively top up your wages. You can also benefit from Daily Pay with Sanctuary, meaning you don’t have to wait long at all to see your earnings in your bank account.Less travel costs Some healthcare professionals prefer working shifts rather than a full-time role because it gives them the opportunity to condense their hours over less days. If you live far from the hospital, you could reduce your travel costs with fewer trips back and forward.Career benefits Every week, Sanctuary receives thousands of shifts from NHS trusts and private healthcare employers across the UK. This means, those working shifts can gain experience working in different localities. It’s one of the quickest ways to broaden your CV and try working in different settings. You’ll be surprised by what you’ll learn along the way. Help relieve the pressure on your colleagues By working shifts, healthcare professionals play an incredibly important role in supporting their colleagues in being able to safely care for people at their most vulnerable. Those working shifts often form a strong bond with full-time permanent staff. The chances are, you’ll find a location you really enjoy working at and know well. With the option to auto-book shifts, you’ll never miss a shift at that location again!Find out more about shift work.

Tips for working night shifts

As a healthcare professional, working shifts can have its benefits, especially for those who choose to only work night shifts (who doesn’t like having four days off in a week?). There are some things to consider though to prep yourself for working night shifts. Here, we consider some of the things we know work. Keep your meals light at nightEverybody gets used to being awake and asleep at specific times of the day, which can make it a little tricky to keep your energy levels up when working different shifts. If you’re working a night shift, try to eat small meals or snacks throughout your shift, and where you can, keep to a normal pattern of eating during the day. This will help when you go back to being awake at daytime. For example, if you wake up at 2pm after a night shift, have something small to eat such as fruit, before having dinner at 6pm. Try not to sleep all day It’s tempting to sleep all day when you finish a pattern of night shifts. Most healthcare professionals used to working night shifts will sleep for around five hours when they get back home. You could always make a point of scheduling something in your diary that means you have to get up – e.g. meeting a friend for a coffee. It’ll help your body adjust to being awake during the daytime again. Keep hydratedWe know this sounds like an obvious one, and no doubt something you say to patients all the time, but it’s important to drink. If you don’t, you’ll feel tired and may even develop a headache as the night goes on. Herbal teas, in the place of caffeine, are great if you’re not one for drinking just water. Peppermint tea, we’re told by our nurses, is really good at settling the stomach and stopping you from feeling overly-hungry and tired. Eat healthily During the night, your body will trick you into craving all the naughty foods. Before your shift, try and eat a meal with whole grains and complex starches to keep those cravings at bay! Take your food with you so that you don’t head straight for the vending machine or convenience foods. High protein foods such as chicken and hummus are a great choice, as well as unsalted nuts and veg. Be in controlThe best tip we can give you is to be in control of when and where you work so you decide your shift pattern. Your current job may not allow for you to work night shifts (or another preferred shift pattern). However, at Sanctuary, we’ve introduced some clever tech so that you can:Instantly see what shifts are available by locationBook the shifts you wish to work at the click of a button Auto-book the shifts based on your availability And so much more with our live rosterYou can find out more about shift work, or to get started, register to book shifts with Sanctuary.

Broadening your experience through shift work

Working temporary shifts at an NHS trust or private healthcare employer is a fantastic way to broaden your experience and exposure to different ways of working. Many nurses, HCAs and other healthcare professionals choose to work shifts not just to earn extra money, but to develop their knowledge and progress their career. It’s also a great way to explore different localities within an NHS Trust or private healthcare group.Learn from a wider range of people Working shifts, the chances are, you won’t work with the same people all the time, unless you auto-book shifts at a specific location. Meeting and working with other healthcare professionals, you’ll learn far more than if you were just working with the same team all the time. If you choose to work within a multidisciplinary setting, you will learn from colleagues you wouldn’t normally spend a concentrated amount of time with.Opportunity to be involved in specialist projectsYou can give your CV a real boost by opting for shift work on a landmark project or brand new setting. Some may even be a once in a lifetime opportunity.Flex around further studiesYou may even choose to engage in further study in a specialist area of healthcare. Working shifts enables you to manage your study time more efficiently, whilst gaining relevant experience.You choose when and where you workPlus, you choose when you get paid with Daily Pay as an option. Get in touch with our shift booking team today to discuss your requirements.Find out more about shift work.

Recommend a friend for shifts

We all know someone who is a fantastic healthcare professional and could benefit from working a few extra shifts. Perhaps they want more flexibility over when and where they work or maybe they would love an easy way to top up their income? All you need to do is refer your friend to Sanctuary’s Shift Booking Team and you’ll be rewarded with £250 as a thank you from us.Referring is simple You can refer as many friends as you like provided they are a qualified healthcare professional. You’ll receive £250 when the person you referred has worked their first 100 hours with us. Your friend will benefit tooSanctuary has so much more to offer your ‘friend’ than your traditional shift booking agency. For a start, we’ve introduced technology that makes it a doddle to find and book shifts.Book shifts 24/7 without the need to speak to a consultant (unless they want to) Choose where and when they work Manage their own availability and booked shiftsSet alerts so that they know when a shift becomes available Automate shift bookings And so much more…They’ll be thanking you for years to come. To recommend a friend for shifts, simply email us with your details, their details and their CV. We’ll take care of the rest.