Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHS
Graham Dalton
Recent activity
Comments (16)
-
Comment on: 'Many students don't see fundamental care as learning'
Come on now! This is not about student nurses, but people in general. Many nurses are too lazy to be involved in personal care also. Most placement settings will simply not allow students to stand around and watch. Maybe watch the first time, but then get involed helping, then taking an active role. Most people will not stand around whilst a person is in need, but there will always be those that do. Any extended period of study/learning always changes a person. There will be a point where the student transitions in to a nurse, even before registration. Maybe we need to revisit Benner. Let's give some space for learning and development.
-
Comment on: Care of the dying must be part of mandatory training
That is so sad! I have seen such things many times. There is no excuse for such poor care. We are supposed to be advocates for our patients. As a student I am on my second placement at a hospice and know it can be done well. We need to value EoL care and hospices offer great training. Contact a local one and see what they have coming up.
-
Comment on: Will graduate entry free nursing from the shackles of class and gender oppression?
This makes me laugh out loud! I am a 3rd year nursing student about to qualify at Dip HE level, but I have other qualifications that give me the title Reverend before my name. This sets me out as a 'professional'. I have for several decades been paid for what I know, not what I do. When it comes to nursing, as I qualify I am slso going to study at MSc level. All this said, when on placements I am only to happy to wash and wipe! Does that remove my knowledge, or my professionalism? Personally, I don't think so. I sat with a palliative patient yesterday holding her hand. I have seen some great doctors doing the same. I would agree that the oppression is there. Only this week a saw a nurse raise a serious ethical issue, only to be put back in her place by another 'profession' who appeared to be taking on the ruling class role. The reason I have for gaining knowledge is two fold. Firstly, for myself, but importantly to be a more effective practioner, this is professionalism!
-
Comment on: Nurses could be breaching code by administering drugs in ignorance
As a third year student about to qualify I still find myself using the BNF in drug rounds. What does not help is the time constraints on the administration of drugs. Though this is no excuse. Nurses always seem to be balancing this time constraint against safety, but safety is surely our paramount concern! Being a student I am paranoid about drugs, not wanting to make any mistakes. I check bothe the pack and contents names and dosages, then the date on the contents. This is done every time, yet often have I seen nurse whizz through this with confidence. On one occasion I found a pack, nearly have empty, that had the correct drug in, but the contents where a different dose to the pack. What had the patient been getting? Why had the nurses in the previous few days not noticed? As for maths! Thank goodness it is 100% pass. When we had a self assessment test in university only a handfull had that level of competence. Thankfully there is now a mandatory maths test in place. It is not all bad though as a couple of days ago I worked with a conscientious nurse who challenged the dose prescribed. Good on her I say! Our patients rely on such standards!
