I am a retired nurse and I would love to know why you need a degree to become a nurse these days, is it so that you can use all the machines available and not have to look at your patient? I'm all for advances in technology but from what I see they spend more time at computers than nursing.
Doesn’t the price of a degree and crap wages go hand in hand, crap wages you don’t pay your degree fees. I think you have to earn above 26,000 now before you start paying. Nurses wages are no where near high enough, especially when the head bods take a staff nurses salary in bonuses alone. I don’t think vocational courses should be paid back, but that’s another issue.
There’s a lot of waste in the NHS that needs to be addressed.
My cousins daughter is in her finals she’s found it very hard going, she’s 50 next year. We’re all very proud of her.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Rick Stein was in the Languedoc, right down by the Spanish border at Collioure then went inland a bit to Prades and along the coast taking in various "étangs" before finally heading over to Provence - Uzès, Marseilles and Cassis. He missed out Pézenas and Marseillan which is a pity and no doubt much more but it was a more thorough visit than the trip thru Périgord where he found an English woman cooking north African style dishes for foreign musicians. Why? So many good French chefs about round there.
My mum was an SRN who trained in the late 40s and did both midwifery qualifications which was not obligatory. In those days nurses washed patients, made their beds, dispensed pills, cleaned wounds, changed dressings etc and fed patients who needed it. She was very worried about the new SCN level introduced but it did allow the SRNs to concentrate more on medical care than beds and feeding.
These days there are so many illnesses being recognised and having new treatments, so many medicines, so many machines that any nurse who wants to be at the top end needs a degree level and many nurses are as capable as junior doctors. Both branches of care need better conditions, better training, better hours and better pay but especially nurses.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
The term ‘nurse’ has literally lost its meaning over the last few decades. Nursing work is diverse and rich, spanning a miriad of functions and purposes. The degree is really just a training programme but with the academic credibility of other courses. The degree itself does not ensure caring, high quality, safe or highly skilled nurses - much of this is down to the individual’s morals, attitude and desires plus other opportunities that are presented, including having inspiring mentors and the ability to reflect and debrief on their experiences.
The sheer fact that there are nursing vacancies unfilled is one of the main reasons why nurses feel dissatisfied in their work, meaning extra pressure and work load plus limits on opportunities to do extra study (often having to fund these or do in own time).
There is now a new arm to nursing and health care support workers by way of the Associate Nurse. These staff are really between the other two roles, some say similar to the old Enrolled Nurse. There are also Nurse Practitioners, who range from specialist roles to ‘advanced’ roles - which indicate a Masters degree plus extended skills which overlap the traditional doctor roles.
I am biased, but why...
considering the importance, role, responsibilities, skills, experiences, leadership qualities, education and professional requirements that many nurses possess... making a difference to hundreds and patients and their families... teaching and supporting juniors and colleagues... making advances in health care and evidence-based practice... working under physical, emotional and mental stress... making personal sacrifices to themselves and their families...
The term ‘nurse’ has literally lost its meaning over the last few decades. Nursing work is diverse and rich, spanning a miriad of functions and purposes. The degree is really just a training programme but with the academic credibility of other courses. The degree itself does not ensure caring, high quality, safe or highly skilled nurses - much of this is down to the individual’s morals, attitude and desires plus other opportunities that are presented, including having inspiring mentors and the ability to reflect and debrief on their experiences.
The sheer fact that there are nursing vacancies unfilled is one of the main reasons why nurses feel dissatisfied in their work, meaning extra pressure and work load plus limits on opportunities to do extra study (often having to fund these or do in own time).
There is now a new arm to nursing and health care support workers by way of the Associate Nurse. These staff are really between the other two roles, some say similar to the old Enrolled Nurse. There are also Nurse Practitioners, who range from specialist roles to ‘advanced’ roles - which indicate a Masters degree plus extended skills which overlap the traditional doctor roles.
I am biased, but why...
considering the importance, role, responsibilities, skills, experiences, leadership qualities, education and professional requirements that many nurses possess... making a difference to hundreds and patients and their families... teaching and supporting juniors and colleagues... making advances in health care and evidence-based practice... working under physical, emotional and mental stress... making personal sacrifices to themselves and their families...
aren’t nurses rewarded with better pay???
I agree with everything you say, 100%. My answer to your last , vitally important point is nobody volunteers to pay any more tax " I pay enough already, someone else should be paying for it" seems the mantra of recent times.
I would be more than happy to pay more tax if I trusted the government to use it honourably .
On another subject - When will the honeymoon period be over? I'm feeling nauseated already.
I've had no trust in any government all my adult life, just varying degrees of mistrust. Certainly more distrustful of governments with large majorities, they tend to be even more self serving than most.
On the subject of nurses’ pay, I found this online
This article is about 3 years old
All nurses start at a Band 5 pay level once they have reached their qualification, with a starting salary of £21,692 (potentially adjustable depending on working anti-social hours, or living in a high cost area). Many nurses begin their career in a hospital setting, and will progress within the ward. Traditionally, wards have a defined career progression path set in place, with each stage achieved by experience, further training, and clinical knowledge.
Staff nurses - this is the initial grade of a qualified nurse, and will be at a Band 5 salary.
Senior staff nurses - these are more experienced nurses, and are likely to be at a Band 6 salary. Not every NHS Trust carries these positions, and other areas may use different titles such as charge nurses.
Deputy ward manager - starting at a Band 6/7 salary, this position brings with it more responsibility for the overall daily running of the ward.
Ward manager - this nurse has control of the budget of the ward, and is responsible for local management. This position usually starts at Band 7.
Senior ward manager - in larger wards there may be a need to have multiple managers, with one senior. This is usually paid between Bands 6-8c.
Band 5 appears to be more or less the current average wage, not too bad for someone just out of uni surely? Lower bands are definitely are on the low side.
Posts
I don’t think vocational courses should be paid back, but that’s another issue.
There’s a lot of waste in the NHS that needs to be addressed.
My cousins daughter is in her finals she’s found it very hard going, she’s 50 next year.
We’re all very proud of her.
My mum was an SRN who trained in the late 40s and did both midwifery qualifications which was not obligatory. In those days nurses washed patients, made their beds, dispensed pills, cleaned wounds, changed dressings etc and fed patients who needed it. She was very worried about the new SCN level introduced but it did allow the SRNs to concentrate more on medical care than beds and feeding.
These days there are so many illnesses being recognised and having new treatments, so many medicines, so many machines that any nurse who wants to be at the top end needs a degree level and many nurses are as capable as junior doctors. Both branches of care need better conditions, better training, better hours and better pay but especially nurses.
The sheer fact that there are nursing vacancies unfilled is one of the main reasons why nurses feel dissatisfied in their work, meaning extra pressure and work load plus limits on opportunities to do extra study (often having to fund these or do in own time).
There is now a new arm to nursing and health care support workers by way of the Associate Nurse. These staff are really between the other two roles, some say similar to the old Enrolled Nurse. There are also Nurse Practitioners, who range from specialist roles to ‘advanced’ roles - which indicate a Masters degree plus extended skills which overlap the traditional doctor roles.
I am biased, but why...
considering the importance, role, responsibilities, skills, experiences, leadership qualities, education and professional requirements that many nurses possess...
making a difference to hundreds and patients and their families...
teaching and supporting juniors and colleagues...
making advances in health care and evidence-based practice...
working under physical, emotional and mental stress...
making personal sacrifices to themselves and their families...
aren’t nurses rewarded with better pay???
My answer to your last , vitally important point is nobody volunteers to pay any more tax " I pay enough already, someone else should be paying for it" seems the mantra of recent times.
On another subject - When will the honeymoon period be over? I'm feeling nauseated already.
Certainly more distrustful of governments with large majorities, they tend to be even more self serving than most.
On the subject of nurses’ pay, I found this online
This article is about 3 years old
All nurses start at a Band 5 pay level once they have reached their qualification, with a starting salary of £21,692 (potentially adjustable depending on working anti-social hours, or living in a high cost area). Many nurses begin their career in a hospital setting, and will progress within the ward. Traditionally, wards have a defined career progression path set in place, with each stage achieved by experience, further training, and clinical knowledge.
Staff nurses - this is the initial grade of a qualified nurse, and will be at a Band 5 salary.
Senior staff nurses - these are more experienced nurses, and are likely to be at a Band 6 salary. Not every NHS Trust carries these positions, and other areas may use different titles such as charge nurses.
Deputy ward manager - starting at a Band 6/7 salary, this position brings with it more responsibility for the overall daily running of the ward.
Ward manager - this nurse has control of the budget of the ward, and is responsible for local management. This position usually starts at Band 7.
Senior ward manager - in larger wards there may be a need to have multiple managers, with one senior. This is usually paid between Bands 6-8c.
Here are reasonably current pay bands
https://www.nhsemployers.org/-/media/Employers/Documents/Pay-and-reward/2018-contract-refresh/Spine-points-at-31-March-2018.pdf