EDITOR’S COMMENT

'Nursing matters and we’re here to fight for you'

15 November, 2011 | By Jenni Middleton

We do like the Hilton Park Lane’s cooking but that wasn’t the reason the team and I headed to the hotel last Tuesday – for a second night in less than a week.

After spending the evening of November 2 there for the Nursing Times Awards, practice and learning editor Ann Shuttleworth, group online editor Rachel Purkett and I returned for the British Society of Magazine Editors’ Awards.

Shortlisted for our A Seat on the Board campaign to get nurses recognition in clinical commissioning, we were up against some tough competition. There were magazines doing all manner of worthy things – including encouraging readers to donate their bras to women in African villages, saving dogs from dying in hot cars, regenerating town centres and preventing homelessness.

But I am delighted to say the Nursing Times entry scooped victory with what the judges described as a campaign that really mattered.

That proves a couple of things – first: that nursing is high on the agenda of those scrutinising the press. Despite the media hype, the public do care about nurses and their voice. Second: that journalism can still bring about changes, which makes me proud.

Nursing Times has a long pedigree of campaigning to change things for the better for its readers. We’re delighted to continue doing that – and so this award is for all editorial teams – past and present – of Nursing Times, for representing this profession. And it’s also for all of you – it proves our commitment to working as your ambassador, and our unswerving desire to always stand up for you and the work you do. You give us a cause worth fighting for. So this award isn’t just for us (though we have celebrated with a lot of cake), it’s for all of you. Well done.

Follow me on Twitter @nursingtimesed

EDITOR DIRECT

Chat live with the editor and other nurses at nursingtimes.net every Wednesday at 1pm about this column.

Readers' comments (24)

mike | 15-Nov-2011 1:15 pm
I wouldn't say it had a long pedigree, Jenni, but it has been getting better. I think there is SO much more you can do though, so much more.
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Jenni Middleton | 15-Nov-2011 1:48 pm
Mike - I am all ears. You can always send us ideas of what you'd like us to campaign for. I have actually been pitching some stories about excellent nursing to a TV company today. After Daybreak came to the NT Awards to profile nursing, I have decided that the media will write positive stories about nursing - and we have plenty to provide here as we are always coming across clever, brilliant nurses working under enormous pressure with amazing compassion. So that is my new obsession - making sure the public find out about great nursing.
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mike | 15-Nov-2011 2:07 pm
Jenni, absolutely outstanding! I take back what I said about doing more!! It is nice to hear that, because that is what is needed right now! A public campaign FOR Nurses, to counteract all the Nurse bashing that is going on at the moment! Could you tell me more about what is being done? What media is being utilised? How? Maybe in a series of articles? Perhaps we could help? I was actually going to suggest could you perhaps contribute to a national media campaign to both celebrate Nursing and also educate the public to exactly what we do and what we are (a highly educated, highly skilled autonomous profession). I think what is needed are campaigns based around different issues, partly to dispel the archaic 'carry on' perceptions of us, and this does have an effect on our professional image and the care we can give. Nurse led services for example are vastly underused partly because of this perception and many people who 'want a real Doctor's opinion'. But also, there is so much that can be done here to make the public realise the pressures we face as a profession and how important we are to their care. Just look at what the Australian ANF has released for example (courtesy of Yvonne), type in A World Without Nurses Ausmed Education on you tube.

Campaigns like this can make the public realise that the failings of the NHS aren't all down to 'bad Nursing care', it is down to staffing levels, poor working practices, bad organisational cultures, etc etc. And they can start to turn their anger toward the trusts and the government instead of always blaming Nurses, start blaming those REALLY responsible for not putting enough qualified staff on the wards and so on. Perhaps that way we can affect some real change.
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mike | 15-Nov-2011 2:12 pm
Also Jenni, can I ask are there any campaigns in the offing to support Nurses who take strike action over pensions? Or what about fighting our corner in the debacle of the commissioning consortium's?
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DH Agent - as if ! | 16-Nov-2011 11:07 am
'Or what about fighting our corner in the debacle of the commissioning consortium's?'

Your 'Seat on the Board' campaign was not a victory, as the Goverment wriggled off the hook with an ongoing fudge !
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Jenni Middleton | 16-Nov-2011 1:16 pm
Mike - I am going to email you separately because it's a long winded answer!
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mike | 17-Nov-2011 9:57 am
Thanks for the email Jenni, much appreciated.

Michael, I agree the seat on the board campaign was a failure, and was annoyed at how it fizzled out when it should have been gaining momentum. BUT, saying that, in hindsight at least it was SOMETHING, because we certainly didn't get any help or support from our so called union or professional body! And used again for a number of different campaigns, lets say safe staffing levels and skill mix for example or fair pay and pensions, then I believe that a campaign such as that can really make a difference if it just picked up more momentum and had more weight behind it. But we need something like this website/magazine to act as a focus, a rallying cry if you like, so that Nurses can make their voice heard much more clearly as a whole, rather than individually banging our heads against the wall.
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DH Agent - as if ! | 18-Nov-2011 11:49 am
mike | 17-Nov-2011 9:57 am

The problem is, as usual, one of perception.

Does a fizzled out campaign, convince the badly-informed that the campaign was successful ? If so, it is probably worse than useless !

As for 'But we need something like this website/magazine to act as a focus' then I am all for open discussion of almost anything - some sort of 'electronic all-comers welcome discussion forum' for complaints and concerns (in hospitals, etc) would also, in my opinion, be very helpful.

I do think - as it happens - that the RCN is actually more aligned to your views, than you believe - but I think the RCN only 'really pushes' for things it thinks might be obtainable (otherwise, it would simply be confrontational, almost all of the time).
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DH Agent - as if ! | 18-Nov-2011 11:51 am
mike | 15-Nov-2011 2:07 pm

I tend to agree.
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Sarah Stanley | 20-Nov-2011 4:25 pm
I hope the campaign for a more positive image of nursing will help to counteract the current bad attitude a lot of the public seem to have adopted at the moment to wards anyone working in the public services. Honestly in my 23 year career i have never before known such a lack of respect and such ingratitude. I do believe the media should take a lot of the blame for that, but are the majority of the public really so stupid as to believe it all?

I belong to a social network site called Netmums, and the bitterness, resentment and sheer vitriol directed at public sector workers on there is frightening.
The general concensus seems to be that we are selfish greedy and hell bent on bleeding the taxpayers dry, and yes they are more than happy to include nurses in that!
And this from a sit where the vast majority of members are woman.
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Ellen Nicholson | 20-Nov-2011 6:30 pm
Mike, Thank you for sharing that link from ANF - a world without nurses, it was excellent, I have shared with other nursing friends to pass along.

And Jenni, I am delighted to hear that the Nursing Times will be tirelessly working encourage the media to write more positive stories about nursing - We do an excellent job, under ever increasing pressure from target driven healthcare, finances & cut backs. We should be proud of the professional care we provide .

I look forward to seeing positive stories in the national media shortly.
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Anonymous | 21-Nov-2011 12:09 pm
no offence but I feel grossly offended when I see a big pat on the back from the RCN about winning a huge settlement for someone who suffered badly at the hands of their employers, whereas I was forced to settle for peanuts!

I appreciate every case is different but I feel very let down.
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mike | 21-Nov-2011 2:06 pm
Ellen, no problem, it was actually from our Ozzy colleague on here Yvonne, I was just spreading the word.

Sarah I could not agree more. A campaign that spreads throughout ALL the media on a positive image for Nursing is sorely needed, and I am really heartened to hear that NT is doing something to get this started.
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Yvonne Bates | 22-Nov-2011 4:52 pm
Hi Guys
Well dont know if you are in touch with what is going on Downunder in Vic AUSTRALIA, but we have got the fight of our lives and its going to be the hardest one yet with a Premier and Health Minister wanting to slaughter the Vic health system.
Nurses are being threatened with massive fines( $6000) each, loss of reg and jail.Nurses are presently being docked for every shift they work with the Industrial Action ( Bed Closures ) and still they will work for no pay.
I cant begin to tell you how hard it is getting and this is by FAR the worst EBA I have known.
But one thing is for sure
WE WILL FIGHT THESE 2 BASTARDS!!
Onto this write up by Jenni.
This is what our cause is now,,,Fighting for the public!! Although some media continue to state this is all about pay when THEY THE MEDIA know differently.
We are now getting out there and WE are telling the public the TRUTH that yes this fight IS FOR THE RIGHTS AND SAFETY OF ALL OUR FELLOW VICTORIANS!and might I just add for all Victorians rights to RECIEVE safe care!!! I am soooo angry and fired up that this government is hell bent on DESTROYING our Healthcare system that we have now.
We have done this before....maybe with less threats to our nurses here, AND WE WILL DO IT AGAIN.
Please sisters and brothers...Go to Facebook Respect Our Work and support us in chatting and we will also INSPIRE YOU...:) I know what you are going through, but tell the aussie nurses here what you guys are going through all for the sake of those you are caring for.
SOLIDARITY BREEDS STRENGTH!!!
NURSES ARE FIGHTING WORLDWIDE SO IT SEEMS....
RESPECT OUR WORK!!!!!!

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Yvonne Bates | 22-Nov-2011 4:57 pm
Oh Just tosay I was on Facebokk all of the time till the past 4 days, but I have been absent with my dad being very sick, but will be back on soon and getting back into it. Have UK nurses got Facebook site to help each other?
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Mags | 22-Nov-2011 10:28 pm
Yvonne. Sounds like you are really in amongst it over there; BUT NOT GIVING AN INCH!! Good on you. Keep up the fight.

My best wishes and thoughts for a very speedy return to health for your Dad.
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mike | 23-Nov-2011 11:13 am
Hope your dad's okay Yvonne, keep up the good fight though. I wish more Nurses in the UK were like you lot down there!
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Yvonne Bates | 23-Nov-2011 4:27 pm
Thanks guys....massive rally tomorrow...we are all fired up :)
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Yvonne Bates | 25-Nov-2011 2:35 am
Massive Rally guys...its was awesome!!
Public support is out there really now.
No: of nurses attending vary from 4000 to 8000, but havent got the real figures as yet.
We went for a SEA OF RED and boy was it there!!( We all wore and carried RED! )
Our union have also just got a TV ad on the road to further spread the word that this isnt just about a pay rise, but about safe patient nursing.They are so loved by nurses here!!!
I was thinking if you keep up with the unions lack of support, maybe you guys should think about a life Downunder in Victoria??... Smile
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Matt Courtman | 25-Nov-2011 1:43 pm
I must say that it is refreshing to see some supportive media out there for us nurses, rather than the nightly bashing on national and local news outlets.

Reading Yvonne's comments about what is going on in Victoria makes me even madder at the Royal College of Nursing and their apparent inability or even unwillingness to stand up for the rights of their members. It's as if they don't want to be drawn into the debate over pensions with other public sector unions because it would reflect badly on themselves, particularly when they are involved in governance as well as representation.

Nurses and other public sector workers are going through their biggest fight for over a decade in this country, because the government feel it is ok to destroy our pensions, making them cheaper to sell to the private sector. It is Thatcherism all over again, and it's nothing to do with austerity measures. In my opinion it is a matter of idealogy.

Despite this fight, the RCN - with whom I became a member because they are supposed to represent nurses - have chosen not to bother, again! It's my belief that the RCN's lack of teeth resulted in nurses pay cuts (in real terms when compared to inflation) over the last few years, and for the coming few years.

I sincerely hope that nursing unions see this coming National Strike Action on 30th November and know that we refuse to take any more lying down. The government have used our sense of duty to our patients and our reluctance to affect the delivery of care to them by striking as a sign that nurses are an easy target. I urge as many Unison members as possible to get out there on the picket line, and remember your colleagues in the RCN when you fight for what is right.

Sorry. I got a bit carried away there, and very possibly off-topic...
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