Should Nurse's Strike?

[Anna B]

I've spent a lot of time over the past 3 years in various hospitals, not just in Sheffield but elsewhere in the country as well. I have to say some nurses are marvellous, they have the touch, the kindness, the skill etc and go the extra mile. They're the born nurses worth their weight in gold, both professionally and on a human level. They love their job for all the right reasons and it shows in the way they work with people. It's the kind word and the smile that is remembered. Anyone would be blessed to have such a nurse tending to them.

 

Then there are also the others, the ones that don't appear to give a dam, don't come across as either professional or kindly....and spend an awful lot of time gathered round the nurses hub chatting, they don't appear to be busy or do much at all. They don't connect with the patient on a human level, some of them actively seem to dislike the patients especially old people, and consider their needs as beneath them. Their degree might say they are nurses, but they lack empathy and show little understanding of people. Maybe they're tired or burnt out, I don't know, but IMO they really need to find another job. Not everyone is suited to the job. They really shouldn't be in the profession. 

 

Sorry to sound harsh, but they aren't all angels. I think it would be far better to alter the career structure, so all start as care assistants at the bottom, then progress to a degree level when they've had chance to prove they're made of the right stuff. 

[cressida]

 

Then there are also the others, the ones that don't appear to give a dam, don't come across as either professional or kindly....and spend an awful lot of time gathered round the nurses hub chatting, they don't appear to be busy or do much at all. They don't connect with the patient on a human level, some of them actively seem to dislike the patients especially old people, and consider their needs as beneath them. Their degree might say they are nurses, but they lack empathy and show little understanding of people. Maybe they're tired or burnt out, I don't know, but IMO they really need to find another job. Not everyone is suited to the job. They really shouldn't be in the profession. 

 

 

Very true Anna,  I don't know why they go into nursing in the first place.

 

[Mister M]

29 minutes ago, Anna B said:

I've spent a lot of time over the past 3 years in various hospitals, not just in Sheffield but elsewhere in the country as well. I have to say some nurses are marvellous, they have the touch, the kindness, the skill etc and go the extra mile. They're the born nurses worth their weight in gold, both professionally and on a human level. They love their job for all the right reasons and it shows in the way they work with people. It's the kind word and the smile that is remembered. Anyone would be blessed to have such a nurse tending to them.

 

Then there are also the others, the ones that don't appear to give a dam, don't come across as either professional or kindly....and spend an awful lot of time gathered round the nurses hub chatting, they don't appear to be busy or do much at all. They don't connect with the patient on a human level, some of them actively seem to dislike the patients especially old people, and consider their needs as beneath them. Their degree might say they are nurses, but they lack empathy and show little understanding of people. Maybe they're tired or burnt out, I don't know, but IMO they really need to find another job. Not everyone is suited to the job. They really shouldn't be in the profession. 

 

Sorry to sound harsh, but they aren't all angels. I think it would be far better to alter the career structure, so all start as care assistants at the bottom, then progress to a degree level when they've had chance to prove they're made of the right stuff. 

 

15 minutes ago, cressida said:

 

Then there are also the others, the ones that don't appear to give a dam, don't come across as either professional or kindly....and spend an awful lot of time gathered round the nurses hub chatting, they don't appear to be busy or do much at all. They don't connect with the patient on a human level, some of them actively seem to dislike the patients especially old people, and consider their needs as beneath them. Their degree might say they are nurses, but they lack empathy and show little understanding of people. Maybe they're tired or burnt out, I don't know, but IMO they really need to find another job. Not everyone is suited to the job. They really shouldn't be in the profession. 

 

 

Very true Anna,  I don't know why they go into nursing in the first place.

 

I agree with both of you about how some nurses are not suitable for the job. 

Having said that, it's the same with any profession, like teaching, some are quite happy to bask in the status of their role, but don't want to bother themselves with any of the tasks that make the profession respected by the public. They're soon found out.

 

I think treating them as 'angels' doesn't help their cause. People think because they're 'angels', they'll do the free overtime, and consistently work above what they should do. If we recognised them as humans with needs and rights, just like anyone else, then I think they would be respected much more, and not dumped on.

 

I might be wrong, but I think this might be the 1st or 2nd time members of the RCN have gone on strike in their over 100 year history. I think that says a great deal about how angry and taken advantage of they feel.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Mister M

[The_DADDY]

1 minute ago, Mister M said:

 

I agree with both of you about how some nurses are not suitable for the job. 

Having said that, it's the same with any profession, like teaching, some are quite happy to bask in the status of their role, but don't want to bother themselves with any of the tasks that make the profession respected by the public. They're soon found out.

 

I think treating them as 'angels' doesn't help their cause. People think because they're 'angels', they'll do the free overtime, and consistently work above what they should do. If we recognised them as humans with needs and rights, just like anyone else, then I think they would be respected much more, and not dumped on.

 

I might be wrong, but I think this might be the 1st or 2nd time members of the RCN have gone on strike in their over 100 year history. I think that says a great deal about how angry and taken advantage of they feel.

I heard it's the 1st time ever.

[Mister M]

Just now, The_DADDY said:

I heard it's the 1st time ever.

 I think it was in the 1990s that the RCN voted to change their rule about strike action, but I wasn't sure if they'd actually been on strike.

[cressida]

Well,  kudos to them,  as always.

[Dromedary]

2 hours ago, cressida said:

....

I don't know why they go into nursing in the first place.

....

Someone I used to know (now deceased) based his degree thesis on the concept of "good nurse, bad nurse" and the idea was formed from interviews and data from real nurses at the time. It showed that nurses first enter the profession with all the good intentions attributed with nursing and care of people. Unfortunately it also showed that some nurses after a while abandon that ideal and do what a lot of us do when in the same job for too long and that is to  become complacent, treating it just like any other job. Nursing ideals such as compassion then go out of the window because it then is just a routine.

 

I think the necessity of having nursing degrees can do just that as it cost a lot in time, money and effort and once they have that degree that's it.

 

I have met many that fall into both categories, caring and also complacent.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by Dromedary
did a slinny

[L00b]

4 hours ago, Delbow said:

I guess this exposes the fruitlessness of the "can't other people pay tax instead" mindset that plagues this country. Not that it will make them change their ways, mind.

It’s not ‘on message’ in the current political context, to hold out that redistributive fiscal policies are virtuous if they’re fair.

 

Because nobody considers it fair to pay more taxes, least of all the wealthiest. And because few understand that the wealthiest’ wealth lies not in income, which is taxed, but in assets, which aren’t taxed; still less, at the scale of things, that owning one’s own home is -in most cases/outside mega bucks areas like London- not being “wealthy”.
 

Besides, so long as too many people continue to believe the political messaging, that running a country is like running a household or a shop, nothing’s going to change.

Edited November 10, 2022 by L00b

[Mister M]

57 minutes ago, Dromedary said:

Someone I used to know (now deceased) based his degree thesis on the concept of "good nurse, bad nurse" and the idea was formed from interviews and data from real nurses at the time. It showed that nurses first enter the profession with all the good intentions attributed with nursing and care of people. Unfortunately it also showed that some nurses after a while abandon that ideal and do what a lot of us do when in the same job for too long and that is to  become complacent, treating it just like any other job. Nursing ideals such as compassion then go out of the window because it then is just a routine.

 

I think the necessity of having nursing degrees can do just that as it cost a lot in time, money and effort and once they have that degree that's it.

 

I have met many that fall into both categories, caring and also complacent.

 

 

I think people who work in the front line of caring jobs e.g. medicine, social work etc. do so because it is a vocation, and they feel they have a lot to give. 

There may be some consciously or otherwise abandon those ideals, or those ideals just get eroded over time. I think one of the big problems that many caring professionals face is burn out. 

We hear a lot more about it nowadays a) it probably happens more because of the cut backs, and people having to do more intensive work because there are fewer colleagues to take up the slack; and b) it's probably more acceptable to talk about burn out than clinical depression or breakdowns. I think many who work in caring professions feel they have to be strong for everyone else and neglect their own needs. 

This doesn't apply to everyone of course.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Mister M

[cressida]

I think that when they become complacent and don't come up to scratch they should change their job in the interest of the patients.

 

Do you think they should bring back Matron?