hamish

Comment on: All-graduate nursing debate hots up as minister accuses detractors of sexism

hamish's comment 13-Nov-2009 8:14 pm

Whilst the move to degree level in some quarters may seem appealing I would ask the question; what positive change would it make? Whilst Nursing is an honourable profession does it really need graduates? My answer would be no. Nursing is about caring, which is not processing an episode of input; but actually caring what happens to people. Over my time as a nurse I have seen fundamental changes to how people are cared for, some for the better and some for the worse. I have been called a dinosaur by those who have far more academic qualifications than me but I feel that I have more humanity by treating a patient as a human being rather than looking at an episode of “care” and have we ticked all the boxes. Graduate qualifications in my eyes mean “nought” I have met many a nurse who is academically in better shape than me but I can leave them in my wake as a caring human being. I will be glad to leave this “profession” soon not because of the patients in my care and the difficulties that sometime arise from them but because the changes that have occurred over the decades have not fully enhanced the patient “experience”. Having been a patient myself receiving care at the “bad” end of the care spectrum; also family members have been given at the best dubious attention by nurses so I will be glad to go. Nursing is; caring, compassion, and looking out for someone, it is not report writing, or using the correct terminology, or having to sit through endless “mandatory” training about subjects just to prevent litigation for a Health Care Trust. It is about time that Nurses woke up to the fact that there is little or no status in being a Nurse, the gradual erosion of status is pushing it further and further down the ladder of “caring” and having an influential voice.