Hi all 
Apologies for the long post it’s just really to gage who’s with me ? I contacted the NMC and the NHS pay band review body with the following email 
Dear sir/Madame 
I would firstly like to apologise if this email
Is directed to the wrong person and ask if you may assist me as to whom to send it to. 
My name is Lynsey , I work as a registered nurse associate. I have been an NHS employee for 21 years and proud to be so. I qualified as an RNA nearly a year ago and I currently work on the Acute medical unit within a band 5 capacity.  I have an NMC pin which I pay for, and which makes me accountable and responsible. I have undertaken extensive clinical skills training including iv administration, catheterisation, venepuncture, canulation and safe Medicate. All these skills alongside a huge wealth of gained knowledge allow me to take my own team of patients each shift. This is a job I enjoy and one I have hoped to do for a long time whilst watching and learning as a nurse auxiliary. 
The nurse associate role is very new; however, I struggle with accepting the role, whilst it was a fantastic way into registered nursing for me I'm now left feeling rather frustrated and demoralised.  
I don't think I realised how it would impact my career. Whilst on shift I'm included in the band 5 numbers for the day underneath the supervision of the senior in charge. I do absolutely everything the other nurses do, and I believe thanks to my experience I do it well.  Unfortunately, I do it at a bottom band 4 pay rate. I won't ever be able to progress to a band 5 without unfortunately spending 2 more years at university, undertaking all the clinical skills I already have , attending placement hours being super nummary to a nurse to learn the job I already do. Then after getting myself into huge debt with student loans and finance, doing full time uni and placement hours I will still have to pick up a shift to survive. I will then pick up my own NMC pin, do all the things I'm supposed to be learning to do and work that shift doing them independently . This I have decided isn't for me therefore I shall have to accept my role as a band 4. 
I feel very strongly about being an advocate for this role as I know from friends and forums online, we are all feeling the same. My reason for emailing yourselves is to look at the pay scale and role . I am currently paid the same as an assistant practitioner as an emergency department assistant and as every other band 4 yet we as nursing associate s are the only ones with responsibility, accountability and an NMC pin why are we paid the same ? 
I'm not even able to wear a registered nurse uniform yet I am "registered "? . I am not a stranger to hard work and am in no way wishing to shirk the effort of topping up to band 5, what I find odd and frustrating that the method to top up is so extensive. Student placement hours for instance whilst I understand taht they are there to enable a student to learn about nursing and how to be one and I enjoyed undertaking these during  my training I find it absolutely bizarre for registered nurse associate s that are predominantly doing the job already, yet have to spend all those hours on placement. we have the evidence to support our learning and to prove our ability that can be documented at hand on a daily basis. 
This country is desperate for nurses and I know a huge handful who would wish to be paid fairly and banded correctly but who cannot afford to take time out from there jobs, gain huge debt in order to progress, I just felt I wanted to raise this issue with the NMC and the pay band review body. 
 I thank you for taking the time to read my email and I hope I've gone a little way to show why myself and my RNA colleagues are frustrated. 
Kind regards 
Lynsey hunter