Nurse 57
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Comments (114)
Comment on: Has healthcare lost its humanity?
The comment above seems to hold managers soley responsible for all failings in health care. To this person, I say: I used to be a manager and although it meant halving my salary, I left and can now say I am happy in my work! As a manager, you are only as good in the eyes of your staff as the last time you said 'yes'. The stress I was under was unimaginable. I had 24 hour responsibility for my unit; I was called relentlessly by staff; I covered endless shifts that encroached into my days off. Discipline? Don't make me laugh. I did a spot check on nights only to discover the night nurses had their boyfriends on the unit. I told the boyfriends to leave, prompting protests from the nurses, who couldn't see what the problem was as 'they were only in the office'. I couldn't suspend the nurses as, quite frankly, I didn't have the staff to cover their shifts. I wrote an incident form, prompting investigation and one of them went off sick anyway.
Managing recalcitrant staff is a nightmare. As a manager, you spend 95% of your time managing 5% of your staff, whilst the rest get on and do their jobs brilliantly under difficult circumstances. I undertook complaint investigations, training modules, sickness action plans, performance action plans, attended meetings, completed revalidation for others, covered long days at weekends in addition to my own rota, all whilst trying to ensure optimum care delivery. Don't bother trying to ask for help, there is none. So next time you blame the manager for your woes, complain that they are doing nothing, remember that their work load is one you don't necessarily see and their support can be limited or non existent. Don't get me wrong, there are some poor managers out there who don't care, who are bullies and who should be removed. Just as there are nurses out there who don't care, are bullies and should do something else. I don't lump all nurses into the same category and neither should you.Comment on: RCN launches drive for nurses to take rest, drink and meal breaks
I am astonished that nurses put up with the conditions they do. And they do. If every nurse wrote an incident report every time they missed a break and forwarded it to the CEO, cover would be provided. Can't complete it at work? Take it home and do it. No access to email? Put it in the post. No reply to the emails? CC your MP into the next one. THERE ARE OPTIONS but nurses steadfastly refuse to choose them. I am tired of nurses seeing themselves as victims rather than the magnificent people they are. United, nurses could have whatever they wanted, starting with protected breaks.
Comment on: FtP cases set to be mostly heard in private under NMC plans
The language used by the NMC at the outset determine how they view allegations against nurses. They are not called allegations, but 'charges', which puts one in mind of criminal activity and so sets the tone of the hearing.
Comment on: 'Plans to remove holiday from nurses are completely disrespectful'
Anonymous 4th March 09:55 - I work for less money in the private sector and don't receive sick p[ay for the first 3 days I am off. I don't receive unsocial hours payments despite working a week of nights every 2-3 weeks, nor do I receive anything extra for working weekends. Why do I continue working for this company? Simply put, it isn't the NHS. At 60 years old, I have to balance the prospect of less money against no breaks, aggressive patients and relatives, unpaid overtime and poor management.
Comment on: 'A royal endorsement for nursing is welcome'
I suppose having delivered two children in a private hospital with the midwives standing back and letting the royal obstetrician do his work makes her an expert! We don't need royal endorsement; we need our so called leaders to petition and lobby the government to recognize nursing and by association, nurses and pay them their due.
