The training of Nurses

[sandie]

This might cause a backlash, but Nurses used to be trained in hospitals and entered the job as a vocation and were taught the basic nursing values.

 

Today to be a Nurse you have to have a degree. A degree in what. They feel that general nursing is beneath them, bed pans and bed baths are the responsibility of the Auxiliaries because they have a degree.

 

There is no wonder the state of our hospitals is as it is now.

 

Florence Nightingale had no degree, but she had the skill of caring for her patients

[discodown]

I would suggest it is still very much a vocation. I doubt anyones doing it for the money

[hitch_1980]

Ummmmmm,....they do get degrees, and then they are trained in hospitals as student nurses, ....so they gain knowledge before they get near patients, and they gain more knowledge with hands on skills.......

 

Dont have a go at the nurses

[sandie]

Ummmmmm,....they do get degrees, and then they are trained in hospitals as student nurses, ....so they gain knowledge before they get near patients, and they gain more knowledge with hands on skills.......

 

Dont have a go at the nurses

 

I am not having a go at Nurses I have been married to one for over 35 years and I have worked for hospitals on services for many a year.

 

The ones today not all of them have no concept of patient care

[sandie]

And of course in the past there weren't just "nurses" - there were varying levels and only the lower ones did bedpan type stuff.

 

Sorry to disappoint you, every nurse from a Pupil, Student,Registered and Sisters did Bed Pans and Bed Baths so not sure where you have got your info

[dave_dave]

What's the point in the thread if you're not having a go at Nurses? It sounds like you're suggesting Nurses don't care for their patients, which us utter crap.

 

I also think you've made up the bit about Nurses thinking bed pans etc are beneath them.

[bagger]

What's the point in the thread if you're not having a go at Nurses? It sounds like you're suggesting Nurses don't care for their patients, which us utter crap.

 

I also think you've made up the bit about Nurses thinking bed pans etc are beneath them.

 

I am, what used to be an auxillary, now support workers, and yes there are an element of nursing staff who feel bed pans/washing/bed making etc are beneath them. But to be honest they're in the minority, although there is usually at least one on every shift.

 

You get good and bad in all professions and the good usually outweighs the bad.

[dave_dave]

I am, what used to be an auxillary, now support workers, and yes there are an element of nursing staff who feel bed pans/washing/bed making etc are beneath them. But to be honest they're in the minority, although there is usually at least one on every shift.

 

You get good and bad in all professions and the good usually outweighs the bad.

 

Of course you do, I agree with your comment. I just thought that the OP generalising that all Nurses with degrees thought bed pans were beneath them was a bit disgusting.

[Anna B]

Some nurses may need a higher qualification if their job is highly technical, but a degree excludes an awful lot of people who have exactly the right caring attitude to do the job but no degree.

 

Yes, they can become an auxiliary or careworker but they work just as hard for peanuts.

 

In my opinion there should be two routes into nursing that are both equally well regarded and pay the same: The more technical degree route, and a more patient focused, on the job training route open to people without high qualifications but who have to pass a rigorous interview and assessment period.

 

Both types of nurse should be allowed to progress within the profession.

[Daven]

When I sarted my nurse training there were 2 levels of nurse training - Enrolled Nurse who did 2 years training and needed only basic education without any 'O' levels and Registered Nurse who did 3 years training and needed 5 'O' levels including Maths and English. Training was very much ward based and 'hands on' and all studies had to be fitted around shifts which included working nights, weekends and bank holidays. At the end of either training , both types of nurses were ready to take charge of the ward and do 'hands on' care.

Today, nurse training is a 3 year degree course which is very much classroom based, and nurses qualify without the skills to give medication, care plan let alone take charge of the ward. It is necessary for all qualified Staff Nurses to have a period of preceptorship during which they learn things that they should have learned during their 3 years training.

I have nothing but sympathy for newly qualified nurses since they are not ready to do the job they have just qualified in. It's not their fault - the training has let them down.

Support Workers now do a lot of the basic hands on nursing - this is the type of nursing that I trained to do and now have little time to do due to the vast amount of paperwork, gudelines, assessments, audits and budget planning, taking blood, cannulating, giving intravenous drugs etc which is now part of my role - such is the NHS these days.

I don't believe that there are very many qualified nurses who believe that giving bedpans and wiping bottoms is beneath them (although there are some and always have been - that hasn't changed over the years).