A Maximum BMI for nurses

Believe me, no overweight person is oblivious. Do you think she’s blind/stupid? The nurse is probably cringing. Of course a fat person knows they’re fat. They have to give advice, it’s the nature of the job, but it doesn’t mean they’re oblivious. I do think some people consider fat people to be thick too. Unfortunately, TV has made the fat person the object of derision/fun. Oh, funny fat person, such a stereotype.

Unless someone's weight impacts their ability to do their job, it shouldn't be a factor.

Perhaps if nurses worked reasonable shift lengths, they'd have the energy and wakefulness to eat and sleep properly and then it would be less of an issue. Plus the known effects of working shift patterns in the first place.

How are they going to enforce it? Sack someone who started at a size 10 in their twenties but became a size 14 by their 50s? It's nonsense.

It’s discriminatory in my view

I couldn't have cared less about the bmi of the nurses that looked after my son for four weeks in NICU after he was born 8 weeks prematurely.
He is 18 now and alive because of their expertise/care.
I did have a chuckle with a nurse weighing me before a hospital appointment, I pointed out I hated being weighed and she said not to worry as she was almost 18st at 5'6! She was a genuinely lovely woman and she didn't have to tell me what she weighed but like most nurses she wanted to make me feel as comfortable as possible. My appointment was to see a dietitian!

I second this....from an overweight mental health nurse

If myself or a loved one required hospital treatment I wouldn't care what shape the staff were that were administering treatment/care.
What a ridiculous suggestion.

I think some people feel like this because alot of women I know have been gaslit my medical staff about how much our weight causes our symptoms and refuse to investigate due to outdated bmi standards. I was told to loose as much weight as possible to get pregnant completely ignoring the crippling abdominal pain I had been experiencing for years - eventually diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and effectively infertile. My Aunt, told she had acid reflux and to diet- actually had pancreatic cancer.
So I suppose the thought process is, if its good enough for them to dish out shouldn't they lead by example?

Never read the comments. They are full of crazy people.

Edit - or, apparently, the replies to this post

@SocksAndTheCity
It's the Telegraph - the only people more obnoxious than the rabid right wing muppets who write it are the ones who read it
.............. a really reasoned and well-thought out response 🙄

@Dymaxion
Can I ask what are your tasks within the community? Is it physical tasks or admin tasks?
I work as a community nurse, so its mainly physical tasks. I see the same amount of patients as everyone else, have to walk up the same flights of stairs/hills/farm tracks as everyone else, and my sickness level is lower than most of my colleagues

IME, the role of a community nurse is not physically demanding - they are mainly concerned with assessments, changing wound dressings, emotional support to people, reporting back to district nurses for any further action.

' walk up the same flights of stairs/hills/farm tracks as everyone else' I don't doubt you do this - I just find it difficult to reconcile the idea of an employer who advocates a certain 'healthy' weight / BMI to its users but not to its staff

There's a certain irony ...............

Agree.

It's bizarre to be lectured by someone who is at least ten points further up the BMI scale and gets out of breath walking back with you to reception.

I can see why people think health professionals (all, not just nurses) should be practising what they preach and keeping a healthy weight. I know it's not easy with stress, shifts, etc but don't lecture me if you're way way fatter than me!

no more needs to be said, lol.
who still reads this senile shite?

Well shiftwork is proven to screw up metabolism as does stress and cortisol levels (also increases nurses chances of cancer). So how about all nurses get full wages on part time day shift work and someone else can work shift and answer to the tough situations.

Absolutely this! I was a normal BMI when I started training and then piled the weight on doing shifts, not getting proper breaks and then diving into the chocolate or biscuit tin in the break room because not having time to eat. I was also wiped out and often didn’t go to the gym. It really doesn’t help. Nurses come in all shapes and sizes I can’t see that there could be many that be classed as overweight enough not to be able to do their job properly. I’ve never come across it
likewise being skinny doesn’t always equal healthy.
I am a big advocate for living a healthy lifestyle but this article is a load of nonsense!

Nurses are in teams generally. There may be some older arthritic ones or some younger inexperienced ones. Or middle aged ones with various health conditions. Or some people may not have the patience or personality to deal well with certain situations. As long as someone can still do most of the nursing tasks does it matter that they might be less able at some? Most nursing doesn't require running about. There's a shortage of nurses.

Nursing is an active job, so despite their obesity these nurses are probably still relatively fit and able to do the job.

It doesn't at all....informing someone they need to lose weight is what their job role is and sadly fat ppl get told it when they already know and are refused treatment because of it.

The fat nurse knows this but it is still policy to say this. Being fat has many reasons..

I'd be wondering why nurses are not given breaks to eat properly and have to grab snacks on the go...I'd be wondering why the NHS are expecting nurses to work double shifts without any time for meal prep...I'd be wondering why the NHS are not providing supervision and support to nurses who are using food as a coping strategy for the things in their lives and trauma they see daily...

I'd also think that you would prefer to go last when waiting for help.

Unless someone is so overweight they can’t carry out their jobs, weight shouldn’t matter. I am weighed and measured at every hospital appointment due the health condition I have. I don’t believe the weight of the HCP who is doing this, prevents them from monitoring me, giving me good advice or treatment. I don’t care about the weight of my GP, nurses or consultants . I just want them to be competent, caring and knowledgeable. You can know that you’re overweight and know what you need to do to lower it. Doesn’t mean you can do it, for a whole lot of reasons. Seems like a shit stirring article to me.

I know it's not the point of the thread but at a 14-16 you aren't large, I think that's pretty much average.

Because people are idiots. let’s see them refuse help from a high BMI nurse when they need it. Thanks for all you do. From an overweight teacher x

The only situation where I can see difficulties arising is where a medical professional needs to give dietary/weight advice to a patient. It would be difficult to take that onboard if the person giving the advice was overweight.

Will this apply to surgeons and consultants as well or just nurses? The head of the stroke unit where my mother was hospitalised was the most unhealthy looking chap I'd seem in a long time and my dad's heart surgeon is huge. Both excellent at their jobs and saved my parents' lives, their body shape isn't my concern.

This is the kind of shit that would happen when you ask the general public for guidance.

See also: Brexit.

I haven’t read the whole thread but my view is I don’t care about the size of any HCP that provides care for me. However that should work both ways and patients should be treated with respect by HCP’s regardless of their size.I think this silly article may be the revenge of fat people who are constantly harangued by some medical professionals for being fat😂. I am fat and was once in A and E when a nurse shouted across the whole department that she needed the extra large cuff to fit my arm for a blood pressure reading.

I’ve been nursing in Australia in different facilities for over 40 years and find this heartbreaking that employers can’t even provide a staff room with a refrigerator/ microwave to store/heat your meal in!!

I truly dont care what size anyone is as long as they are able to do their job well.