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
34 november 5 from :: volRCNi.com 29 no 10 by :: 2014 STANDARD Downloaded ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 22, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
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
34 november 5 from :: volRCNi.com 29 no 10 by :: 2014 STANDARD Downloaded ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 22, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
