OPINION

'Nursing is now unattractive – a bit like David Cassidy'

25 January 2011 | By Mark Radcliffe

I did a workshop with some practice teachers this week.

They were a charmingly formidable group of nurses, some with 30 years’ experience, none with less than 20. They were a lively, thoughtful and, typically, self mocking group of mostly women. One felt that they could - if they had so chosen - have marched on parliament and, if not seized power, certainly have given the naughty twins a very stiff talking to.

We did what the over 45s do - took the mickey out of the 1980s and reflected on how we had aged better than David Cassidy.

When they talked about nursing, they premised their reflections on the assumption that, while politicians come and go, nursing remains constant. They worried that the modern nurse had forgotten that “caring” was the core activity of nursing and we talked about that.

They also reflected on what else they might have done instead of nursing. “I love what I do but, if I had my time again now, I don’t know that I would choose nursing,” said one, adding: “I certainly don’t want my daughter to be a nurse.”

Which is interesting, isn’t it? Some of the group were hoping their daughters would go into nursing, others hoping they would not. Nobody mentioned their sons becoming nurses, by the way.

And it occurred to me - and I know I should be imprisoned for this - that as things stand I don’t want my daughter to become a nurse.

Of course if she said she wanted to I wouldn’t try to dissuade her, not like I would if she said she wanted to join the Army or All Saints or the Liberal Democrats, but I don’t want her to nurse. Does that make me a bad person? A poor advocate? A fraud?

I don’t mind the lifetime of mediocre income she would sign up to. And I think the work itself remains a more valuable labour than pretty much any other I can think of.

But - and I hesitate to type this - I think I worry that it may hurt too much; that the emotional labour, the relentlessness, can hurt too much.

And I worry about a working life where she would be taken for granted by prissy, pointless politicians.

It may be that I am applying this paternalism to the child she is rather than the woman she will become.

Other nurses have said to me in the past that they would not want their children to become nurses because they want “better” for them, and they do so knowing the contradiction between admitting there is better to wish for while still advocating, fighting for and even loving nursing. Do we consider a career in law or medicine “better”? Because of status? Pay? Respect?

I don’t aspire to anything for my child except health and happiness but, hand on heart, I cannot hope she goes into nursing, not as nursing stands now. I think it demands too much.

I spent a day thinking about why I have that gut reaction to something that has been such a large part of my life because that instinct unsettled me.

I decided that I had come to suspect that there is something abusive about nursing in the current climate - it manages to demand too much from its practitioners and it assumes that demand is normal.

I think we need to do something about that. Because, in my heart, if I cannot recommend it to my own child, how can I justify recommending it to anyone else’s?

Readers' comments (20)

mike | 25-Jan-2011 2:46 am
I resent the idea that modern Nurses have forgotten 'care' is a core part of our profession. This is an attitude I have come across again and again by many older Nurses and it really annoys me. Just because we are degree educated and put more emphasis on a wider range of clinical skills than in the past, etc, it does not mean we do not care!

As for your other point, I do tend to agree. If I had children I'm not sure I would want them to come into this profession, there are times that I think I wouldn't have done so given my time over again. But that is not because of the profession itself. I love the job itself. I just can't stand the pay, the lack of respect, the working conditions, the politics, etc. There is only so much sacrifice for a career that anyone can give.

You are exactly right Mark, and it is a shame.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 25-Jan-2011 11:54 am
I do not fully agree with Mike that skills and education are perceived as nurses lacking care in their roles.
However, if the politicians only care about banks and their next directorship; DoH is so far removed from pateint care it is uncanny, and make ongoing changes that only make sense to the building managers at the DoH; Trust Managers and leaders are too wrapped up in the changes to support or lead nurses, then nurses feell devalued and 'uncared' for. So how can nurses be perceived as caring when they are looking over their shoulder for the next double decker change to hit them.
Despite this the majority of nurses try to care within their own internal resources having been stretched by political pressure, demanding roles and lack of 'care and leadership'.
Unsuitable or offensive?
mike | 25-Jan-2011 7:43 pm
Anonymous | 25-Jan-2011 11:54 am Have you heard of the term 'too posh to wash?' I have, many times, (just look at past articles on here for example) because Nurses are now much more educated and clinically skilled than their forebears. It is complete rubbish.

I agree with you on everything else however, but it isn't just the next double decker change that we are being hit with, it is the repeated body blows of poor pay, poor working conditions, low staffing levels, stress, etc. I wouldn't recommend this profession to anyone now.
Unsuitable or offensive?
sara | 25-Jan-2011 8:19 pm
I think that 'care' is intrinsic in a person despite when they trained or to what level.

I am often cross and frustrated at the lack of true recognition for nurses, and the general treatment that many nurses endure, but overall nursing has given me a lot, and diversity in a job that is probably quite rare. However, I have sons and would not really want any of them to be nurses EXCEPT and this may be worse than Mike just not wanting his daughter to be a nurse.. except if they didn't have other options.... Obviously I wouldn't try to stop them if they really wanted to do it.
Unsuitable or offensive?
halfanurse1987 | 25-Jan-2011 8:51 pm
Mike said that he would not want his non-existing children to go into nursing...he did not specify gender. And Mark said he would not want his daughter to go into nursing in a way that suggests he has a daughter but doesnt have a son.

Neither my mum, gran or step-dad wanted me to go into nursing...
Unsuitable or offensive?
mike | 26-Jan-2011 6:29 am
halfanurse, exactly right, thank you. I did not specify a gender because it is unimportant to me. Son or daughter, doesn't make a difference. There is enough sexism in Nursing already (believe me as a so called 'male' Nurse I have recieved my fair share) without me adding to it.

Keeping away from that debate however, I think Sara makes a good point. That of the better alternatives.

We are all highly educated, a lot of us to degree level and beyond. We are all highly skilled professionals with extremely marketable skills. We have sacrificed a lot to give our all in a public service.

So why do we put up with the conditions of this so called 'profession'?

There are many, many alternatives out there to people with our education, skill and professionalism. There are many, many people who get a lot more from their career for doing a lot less.

Could any of us in any conscience advise children capable of entering Nursing to enter this 'profession' when they can use all those attributes to enter a profession that will pay them a lot more, give them much better working conditions, maybe not as much job satisfaction but a hell of a lot less stress and dissilusion?

I know I couldn't.

Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 27-Jan-2011 2:55 pm
You would dissuade your daughter from joining the Army. As an ex army nurse I can say being an army nurse is extremely satisfying - can't comment on joining All Saints though!!

Unsuitable or offensive?
B R | 27-Jan-2011 9:58 pm
sara | 25-Jan-2011 8:19 pm

'I think that 'care' is intrinsic in a person despite when they trained or to what level.'

Sara, I couldn't agree more, and am sick of a lot of the threads on any topic turning to 'degree or not' and/or 'older v younger/modern nurses' (relating to when they trained) as in these comments.
mike 25-Jan-2011 2:46 am 'Just because we are degree educated and put more emphasis on a wider range of clinical skills than in the past' and
mike 25-Jan-2011 7:43 pm 'Nurses are now much more educated and clinically skilled than their forebears'
If that isn't darn insulting I don't know what is! Perhaps Mike you should 'care' more about your colleagues too and then nurses would stick together instead of being dragged into these draconian debates. Have you heard of 'divide and rule', you seem to be feeding it?

-and mike again 25-Jan-2011 2:46 am 'I just can't stand the pay, the lack of respect, the working conditions, the politics, etc.' and 'There are many, many alternatives out there to people with our education, skill and professionalism.' Why are you still a nurse, you have a 'degree', use it elsewhere, if these are your feelings? Don't tell me, 'you love your job' -Mmmmm!

Unsuitable or offensive?
mike | 28-Jan-2011 5:28 am
BR, not at all you seemed to have missed the point of that statement slightly. Those are often may of the reasons sited when stating that newly qualified staff are 'too posh to wash' (a look back at a lot of the threads on here on the issue will show that) and that is what annoys me. Perhaps I didn't state it very well but my point was although the profession is different now than it used to be, the core of our paradigm is the same. If you don't want to be part of these draconian debates, why don't you offer some insight yourself into the thread rather than just agreeing or disagreeing with others?

Now as for your other statement, no I do not 'love' my job for many of the reasons stated above and believe me there have been times when I have asked myself is it all worth it. However, the same reason I got into the profession is the same damn reason I go into work every day despite that. I have worked too long and too hard for my role to just give up, I would rather stay and try to fight to change things. Would I recommend anyone come into the profession as it stands? No, absolutely not. Do I think the profession needs a wholesale change? Absolutely. Do I wish more Nurses had the balls and the backbone to speak out and bring about that change? I think that goes without saying.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 28-Jan-2011 7:45 am
will advise my daughter to be a banker/politician etc
if you carnt beat em!!!!!!!!
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 28-Jan-2011 9:22 am
Mike, "I would rather stay and try to fight to change things"

Aren't you the same Mike that is constantly tell us all how you are going to Oz and can't wait to get there?
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 28-Jan-2011 1:50 pm
I am an 'older' nurse I suppose at age 57 next week and I am interested in the old nurse young nurse divide regarding impressions of care.

I have had harsh comments made to me from many (most that is, not all) by older nurses in the mid nineties because I dared to like and appreciate IT.

There seems to have been a perception in nursing, even since I trained in the seventies, that nurses cannot be good at or like more than one thing, the foremost being 'caring' for the patient.

Because I had a view ahead of my time, how recording and documenting using computers would result in improved audit and exchange of information I have more than once been told that a nurse is only 'caring' if at the bedside and more importantly, it was implied that because I liked IT then I would be less of a nurse when at the bedside. In spite of this, I often received positive feedback from patients and relatives that I had done something that other nurses had missed etc. but still, my older nurse colleagues viewed me with suspicion and sometimes downright rudeness.

This strange philosophy of nurses only being able to be good at one aspect of caring seems to have followed through into much of our professional development. As a primary care nurse it is often viewed that I can only be good at one aspect of care there as well when GPs don't appear to have the same restriction.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Sarah Stanley | 29-Jan-2011 12:08 pm
Mark, who says David Cassidy has not aged well?!!
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 29-Jan-2011 12:25 pm
I still have a deep passion for my profession and love the interaction with the patient, going that extra mile to ensure high quality care. But, the constant politics of backbiting and bitching, always looking over your shoulder in such a blame culture environment, poor tam playing, really makes me question whether my emotional welfare is more important. Especially, given the cutbacks, poor pay, poor respect etc etc
Unsuitable or offensive?
Martin Jones | 30-Jan-2011 5:00 pm
Perhaps you should reflect on the point about not encouraging a child to enter nursing: might this be a little like somebody who works in catering and says they'd never eat out. Sometimes too much insider experience can cloud our judgment. In my 28th year as a nurse I think nursing is a wonderful career.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Jane | 31-Jan-2011 9:45 am
Mike, B R is adding to the thread by adding their thoughts to your opinions of "old" versus "new".
I agree "too posh to wash" is used too often but is just as insulting as implying that the newer input of nurses are better educated and better skilled.

Many of these "older" nurses did not have the opportunity to get degrees when they started but have now achieved it. They have also have evolved with the ever changing NHS learning new clinical skills along the way with many managers being from the older cohort.

And yes B R, Mike does always go on about going to Australia which is his perogative to do so but now, after his last point, I'm not sure which is the reality - to fight or flight.
Unsuitable or offensive?
mark radcliffe | 31-Jan-2011 4:53 pm
Sarah: The women in the group said, something to do with botox? I googled him and found a couple of images that reminded me we all age.
Martin: Yes that is possible, as I said I reflected on that at the time. Essentially I wanted to through the feeling out there as a way of reflecting more collectively. It did leave me feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 31-Jan-2011 8:10 pm
I am a 57 year old nurse with a degree and have visited an elderly relative in hospital in the last month and I have never felt so ashamed of my profession. During my visits I felt so embarressed, in front of family members, about what was passed off as care for my uncle.
I don't care when you trained whether it was in the 70s 80s or in the last couple of years surely what we want for patients is dignity, to keep them clean and comfortable, free from pain and give them the feeling that they are being cared for. I have always judged nurses on Would I want them to look after my family if they were ill. I have come away from this hospital terrified that anyone from my family will have to go there.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 2-Feb-2011 9:07 pm
i would absolutly never recommend/encourage any of my family to become nurses - in fact i would actively discourage it - the crap ive put up with and seen i wouldnt wish it on an enemy let alone encourage a loved one - if i had my time again i would not do a "vocational" career i would do one which made me very rich so i could have the time and money to enjoy life, enjoy my family and have the time/money to volunteer my services to those who need it - then i really would have the best of both worlds rather than this one way trip of sacrificing my needs for others on the take take take nhs train ride.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 2-Feb-2011 9:14 pm
who is david cassidy? why is he unattractive and what does he have to do with nursing?
Unsuitable or offensive?