Let us first and foremost listen to what our patients want and then do all we can to fulfil their wishes. Michael Owen, Bolton
A FURTHER REGISTRATION FEE RISE WOULD BE A SLAP IN THE FACE The report of a possible further increase in our registration fees for the Nursing and Midwifery Council to pay the annual running costs of its own regulator is yet another slap in the face for nursing (News February 18). The Department of Health expects that healthcare regulators will have to pay for the Professional Standards Authority from August this year. The cost to the NMC could be about £1.7 million a year. Do we need a regulator of regulators? Why can’t our regulators regulate and be held totally accountable, without interference? Or, are our regulators not to be trusted? Gordon Lees, by email
THE NHS MAY BE CHALLENGED, BUT MY FATHER’S CARE IS PRAISEWORTHY In a time when daily media news reveals many challenges and failings in the NHS, I am pleased to report that the nursing staff looking after my father at Craigavon Area Hospital in Northern Ireland are an excellent example of the good side of the NHS. My family and I have been touched by the humour and attention brought to all aspects of the professional care delivered. This has made a difficult time much easier to bear and has contributed immensely to my father’s health and wellbeing.
This was the first time William had ‘experienced health care from a bed’. The operation went well, the staff were attentive and punctual with pain relief. As a result, this nursing student thinks differently about pain relief and says it will inform his future practice. From now on, he will trust what he sees and hears from patients in pain. Helena Soni, by email
What you’re saying on Facebook... “EBOLA NURSE CAFFERKEY SUBJECT OF NMC INVESTIGATION” These nurses risked their own lives to care for others. They are nurses to be proud of, not to be investigated. The screening system should be looked at because she was passed at Heathrow. Nobody can predict illness.
#NScomment Whistleblowers usually get sacked or even drummed out of their profession. #Mandatoryreporting would protect them. @JonathanWest
#WeNurses An identified buddy to support nurses during error investigation, incident, compliant may assist in retaining staff in practice @KathEvans2
It’s important to acknowledge the good feedback as much as the opportunities to improve. You don’t want to lose the good! @davidcragg
M Aksu
I read that McCafferkey had raised concerns about her temp prior to travelling but as she passed screening tests, nothing happened. I seriously doubt this would be happening should she have been a doctor. E Trevis
I’m a nursing student and the further I continue in my training the more the ‘caring’ profession I hoped I was joining seems to be a far-fetched thing... Why would the nurse hide anything that suggested she had contracted Ebola? Surely it is in her and her family’s benefit (never mind the greater public’s) to declare she felt unwell? K Millar
Adrian Tighe, by email
A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAIN RELIEF AFTER ‘HEALTH CARE FROM A BED’ Nursing student William Ball writes eloquently about suspecting he had appendicitis and making the trip to A&E (Reflections February 18). He was placed under general anaesthetic about 30 minutes after being assessed by the registrar and signing the consent form. This is the NHS at its best.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
“STUDENT ‘ROLE PLAY’ MASKS PROMPT MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA COMPLAINT” I should think so! As a RMN of 20 years I have never nursed patients who look like this. Role play away, it does provide a good sense of verbal and non-verbal interactions – but remember mental illness affects us all. Your brother, your sister, your mother – do they look like these masks? Maxine O’Brien
Patients don’t really want to be treated as ‘feedback’. Been there, done that. Now they want to ‘be heard’ and to make a difference to care @CEO_POAustralia
Themes from our Helpline: ‘Patients want to be treated humanely, with compassion and listened to’ tinyurl.com/PAhumane @PatientsAssoc
Hindsight is a wonderful thing We all like to think we’d be brave and do the right thing but who knows really @wendyjpitt61
As health care professionals we must realise that kindness is first and foremost why we do our job – be kind @JennytheM
Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm
NURSING :: voluses 29 no 27 :: permission. 2014 33 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 09, 2015. For personal use march only. No4other without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
A FURTHER REGISTRATION FEE RISE WOULD BE A SLAP IN THE FACE The report of a possible further increase in our registration fees for the Nursing and Midwifery Council to pay the annual running costs of its own regulator is yet another slap in the face for nursing (News February 18). The Department of Health expects that healthcare regulators will have to pay for the Professional Standards Authority from August this year. The cost to the NMC could be about £1.7 million a year. Do we need a regulator of regulators? Why can’t our regulators regulate and be held totally accountable, without interference? Or, are our regulators not to be trusted? Gordon Lees, by email
THE NHS MAY BE CHALLENGED, BUT MY FATHER’S CARE IS PRAISEWORTHY In a time when daily media news reveals many challenges and failings in the NHS, I am pleased to report that the nursing staff looking after my father at Craigavon Area Hospital in Northern Ireland are an excellent example of the good side of the NHS. My family and I have been touched by the humour and attention brought to all aspects of the professional care delivered. This has made a difficult time much easier to bear and has contributed immensely to my father’s health and wellbeing.
This was the first time William had ‘experienced health care from a bed’. The operation went well, the staff were attentive and punctual with pain relief. As a result, this nursing student thinks differently about pain relief and says it will inform his future practice. From now on, he will trust what he sees and hears from patients in pain. Helena Soni, by email
What you’re saying on Facebook... “EBOLA NURSE CAFFERKEY SUBJECT OF NMC INVESTIGATION” These nurses risked their own lives to care for others. They are nurses to be proud of, not to be investigated. The screening system should be looked at because she was passed at Heathrow. Nobody can predict illness.
#NScomment Whistleblowers usually get sacked or even drummed out of their profession. #Mandatoryreporting would protect them. @JonathanWest
#WeNurses An identified buddy to support nurses during error investigation, incident, compliant may assist in retaining staff in practice @KathEvans2
It’s important to acknowledge the good feedback as much as the opportunities to improve. You don’t want to lose the good! @davidcragg
M Aksu
I read that McCafferkey had raised concerns about her temp prior to travelling but as she passed screening tests, nothing happened. I seriously doubt this would be happening should she have been a doctor. E Trevis
I’m a nursing student and the further I continue in my training the more the ‘caring’ profession I hoped I was joining seems to be a far-fetched thing... Why would the nurse hide anything that suggested she had contracted Ebola? Surely it is in her and her family’s benefit (never mind the greater public’s) to declare she felt unwell? K Millar
Adrian Tighe, by email
A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAIN RELIEF AFTER ‘HEALTH CARE FROM A BED’ Nursing student William Ball writes eloquently about suspecting he had appendicitis and making the trip to A&E (Reflections February 18). He was placed under general anaesthetic about 30 minutes after being assessed by the registrar and signing the consent form. This is the NHS at its best.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
“STUDENT ‘ROLE PLAY’ MASKS PROMPT MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA COMPLAINT” I should think so! As a RMN of 20 years I have never nursed patients who look like this. Role play away, it does provide a good sense of verbal and non-verbal interactions – but remember mental illness affects us all. Your brother, your sister, your mother – do they look like these masks? Maxine O’Brien
Patients don’t really want to be treated as ‘feedback’. Been there, done that. Now they want to ‘be heard’ and to make a difference to care @CEO_POAustralia
Themes from our Helpline: ‘Patients want to be treated humanely, with compassion and listened to’ tinyurl.com/PAhumane @PatientsAssoc
Hindsight is a wonderful thing We all like to think we’d be brave and do the right thing but who knows really @wendyjpitt61
As health care professionals we must realise that kindness is first and foremost why we do our job – be kind @JennytheM
Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm
NURSING :: voluses 29 no 27 :: permission. 2014 33 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 09, 2015. For personal use march only. No4other without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
