Letters

Send your views by email to [email protected], the letters editor @RogerEvansE1, post on the Nursing Standard Facebook page or visit www.nursing-standard.co.uk

Please keep letters to a maximum of 200 words, and include your full name and a daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited

‘Use us or lose us,’ say the RCN’s retired accredited representatives Debate is continuing over using the knowledge and skills of retired RCN representatives (Reflections October 8, Letters October 15 and 29). I don’t understand the problem. Retired reps are not ogres. We are all on the same side. They have great skills and talents, and the experience of a lifetime. They want to help, and I should imagine that most of today’s hard-pressed reps would be grateful for their support. Reps brought out of retirement would not be demanding salaries that are out of this world or putting in claims for unreasonable expenses or outrageous consultancy fees. All they are saying is: ‘Use us or lose us.’ They are simply eager to support the college and its members, particularly in this time of unrest, health service cutbacks and unfair media criticism. But the RCN leadership appears to be lukewarm at best to the proposals of using their talents. There does not appear to be much, if any, progress in response to last year’s RCN congress resolution calling for their talents to be used. Retired reps need to become proactive and more involved in RCN branches and forums. Those who pay the full nurse or health practitioner membership fee can stand for governance roles on RCN council, its committees and the RCN boards. This seems a possible route forward to ensure their greater and continued involvement in RCN affairs. Christine Clark, by email

WEARING GLOVES MEANS THAT WE LOSE OUT ON SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT The front cover of your October 15 issue depicts a nurse tipping a plastic pot containing medication into a patient’s hand. There is nothing

untoward about this, except that the nurse is wearing gloves. Unless there is a risk of exposure to bodily fluids, gloves are not required. This photograph made me think about the times I see staff wearing gloves as if every activity requires protection. There is nothing more caring in my mind than holding a patient’s hand and having that skin-to-skin contact. I do abide by handwashing practices, but we need to revisit our standard precautions. Michelle Biggins, by email

THANK YOU FOR THE TRIBUTE TO OUR GOOD FRIEND RAY ROWDEN I was moved by your kind obituary of mental health nurse Ray Rowden (Letters October 29). I met Ray some three years ago when he moved to Competa in southern Spain. My wife Patricia and I became good friends with Ray and his partner Tom. Patricia is a retired nurse and she and Ray spoke the same language.

Thank you for such a lovely obituary. It moved me to tears. Michael and Patricia Lee, by email

SUPPORT THE WELSH MEMBERS’ BILL ON SAFE NURSE STAFFING LEVELS It is heartening that Kirsty Williams, the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and assembly member for Brecon and Radnorshire, is progressing her members’ bill on safe nurse staffing levels. As chair of the Safe Staffing Alliance, I am pleased that it has been amended to emphasise ‘safe’ staffing levels rather than ‘minimum’ levels and that managers will be legally obliged to maintain an adequate nursing workforce underpinned by sound evidence. The Safe Staffing Alliance is campaigning for ‘Never more than 8’ patients per registered nurse to be deemed a ‘never event’, as this is an unsafe level of staffing. I am tired of hearing that it is pointless pushing for more registered

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nurses, and the claims that ‘they are not out there’. The solution is to increase the training places and stop raiding the resources of other countries. We are turning applicants away from nursing courses, as there are insufficient training places. This is a travesty. The Welsh bill states: ‘Investing in the best care produces the best outcome and experience for the patient. It is also the most cost-effective use of public money.’ We must all support this Welsh bill as it will lead the way for the three other UK countries. Susan Osborne CBE, chair, Safe Staffing Alliance

WE DO NOT NEED MANAGERS TO TELL US WHERE THE PROBLEMS LIE I read with interest editor Graham Scott’s editorial, ‘Plenty of managers, but where are the leaders?’ (October 22), and could not agree more. A vast amount of money is spent on paying managers inflated salaries to inform us of where we are failing. But it is glaringly obvious where the problems lie – as well as what should be the solutions. We need to employ more nurses and front line staff who are at the heart of nursing care. We should also slash the number of managers and auditors. It is so sad and disheartening that, through no fault of our own, we are unable to carry out our job properly. How can we be expected to work efficiently without adequate resources? Yet, as nurses, we are powerless to improve the situation. There is nothing better than a strong team with an effective leader who knows the skill mix of the team and can delegate accordingly. This is what we should be aiming for. Marie J Rowe, Lymm, Cheshire

HELPING A POLISH NURSE FRUSTRATED BY DELAYS IN HER NMC REGISTRATION Polish nurse Agnieszka Wroblewska came to the UK a year ago and has worked for the past nine months as a support worker while trying to gain Nursing and Midwifery Council

(NMC) registration to work as a nurse. She says she feels she is banging her head against a brick wall (Letters October 29). I am assuming that her application to the NMC is complete – that she has provided evidence of her qualifications in Poland leading to automatic recognition and has paid the £110 charge for evaluation of her application pack. Alternatively, she may have needed to provide a transcript of her training from her training institution showing a full record of the entire theory and practice hours completed during her training. If her application is complete and she has paid the fee, I can well understand her frustration with this long delay. I recommend that she joins a union and secures the support of a union rep to help speed things up. If she were to join the RCN as a health practitioner member, her membership fee could be as little as £4.10 a month. Helen Evans, by email

WITH NMC DELAYS, THE BEST WAY TO RESPOND IS TO MAKE A COMPLAINT My heart bleeds for Polish nurse Agnieszka Wroblewska (Letters October 29), who is experiencing a long delay in obtaining her registration from the NMC. I have recently advised a Greek nurse in a similar position. The first thing to do is to make a formal complaint to the NMC. This can be emailed to complaints@ nmc-uk.org or made in writing to The Complaints Manager, NMC, 23 Portland Place, London W1B 1PZ. Agnieszka will need to give the details and dates of her application, her reference numbers, why she thinks the delay is unacceptable and the effect being unable to work is having on her career, economic situation and emotional wellbeing. The NMC will acknowledge the formal complaint, ask a senior manager to consider the complaint and aim to respond within 20 working days. Naomi Lyth, by email

TWEETS OF THE WEEK 12-hour shifts means the patient does not continuously see unfamiliar faces during the day and builds rapport @ehbee_

12.5-hr shifts enable excellent continuation of care, but nurses must be able to #recharge #fairoffduty #NScomment @LNeighbour

Also many staff on breadline, need to have those extra days off to bank #payfreeze couldn’t if had to do short shifts @lillybubs

I found days off when working 12hr shifts were recovery days not quality time off @Kiki19312

Must look after yourself on 12-hour shifts. So easy to forget though @KatrinaBannigan

Depends on area that you are in. I have found some areas more physically exhausting than others @leannesiekiera

Working on a dementia ward 12.5 hours is physically and mentally tiring. 1 hour break not long enough either @TraceyShrimpton

In my trust nurses complaining about having heel pain since started 12.5 hours shift due to long standing @huzaifas04

Follow Nursing Standard @NurseStandard and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm

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Support the Welsh members' bill on safe nurse staffing levels.

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