Do nursing staff not wash patients anymore or change sheets?

In my experience, it usually just said who the nurse in charge was but other than that it was just first names. It can be confusing if you are worried about your loved one and aren't sure how things work or who to talk to.

If you are there long enough, you do learn how it all works. Perhaps some wards need to be more clear with their whiteboards and/or with what the different coloured uniforms mean.

On each warf it usually has a whiteboard where it tells you how many nurses HCA’s et cetera should be on duty to and how many actually are so before you make comments perhaps it would be a good idea to have a look at the staffing situation and complain to the right person

One of the issues is the shortage of HCA's on some wards. HCA's can't wash patients or change beds if they aren't there in the first place or can't get through everyone in one day if there's only one or two for the whole ward.

it’s like some people have never actually been in a hospital and can’t tell the difference between an HCA and a nurse by their uniform. Any nurse I’ve seen while in Hospital is working their bloody socks off they’re doing really complicated things that an HCA can’t do. So an HCA does those things. It’s like some of you saying you know the doctor should be able to find spare pair of socks or brushing their hair or whatever.

Completely agree with you. Years ago and even now the majority of students absolutley work their socks off and would be keen to do anything. But you will get some students and even staff nurses that think bed making, providing/food and drinks is beneath them. Which is sad as healthcare should be holistic.

I was replying to another post as per the quote…..

I’m not in the uk I’m in Ireland but certainly over here a student nurse would know not to make comments like that . They would be putting themselves at risk of failing their placement. In fact I would go so far as to say it’s the opposite over here , student nurses spend a ridiculous amount of time doing unpaid work that is the the remit of a hca such as making beds, washing beds , specialing people etc.Saves the government a fortune tbh.

21 years... how many beds have you seen being made properly by HCP's?

Some context pls.

21 years in the NHS . You don’t have to believe it but it’s happened more than once in my experience. More recently too.

It’s very obvious health staff are not valued. As pp’s said, look at the rising rates of violence and sexual assaults. We are just expected to deal with it, and not allowed even to talk back to those whose attitude is ‘who do you think you are talking to me’? These are usually people who are very very dependent on our continuing work, either economically (the benefit brigades) or of course the disabled. Public servants are treated as public slaves, and have been for some time now. Wages are minimum or not much above, staffing is minimum, conditions and equipment are minimum, because ‘the public sector is bloated and needs to be more productive’.

Tory bullshit.

Already staff have left in vast numbers. Already the levels of new entrants for the ‘opportunity’ of huge debts in uni have fallen. Already staffing is mostly foreigners, especially at the lower professional levels, because it is not worth it for locals. Start looking at reality instead of the propaganda from bloody London aristos and bankers.

Some workplaces will have you on a disclipanary if you have a week off

That’s so wrong. No one can help being ill

Happened to my DD, 2 bouts of Covid, and the flu after being told to care for a patient but no PPE available.

She went back too soon and had to go off sick again, so 2 absences, stage 1 discipinary.

I agree. My dm was a nurse and was shocked when my sheets weren’t changed after a c section. It’s the most assertive I have ever seen her be!

Because it’s sick leave and if you take too much time off then you can face disciplinary action

working in close proximity to ill people puts you at higher risk of catching something

Why would getting illnesses while treating patients result in disciplinary action?

Ex nurse here. No you most definitely are NOT being unreasonable here. Just because a relative is present no nurse should ‘assume’ you would do personal care. For a younger child I might expect Mum to want to do it, but for a 20 year old woman, definitely not.
I would formally complain via PALS about the lack of care.

Not all nurses work in hospitals - community staff are subjected to verbal and physical aggression every day - and aren’t able to call security as many times they’re alone. Often feel undervalued and forgotten.

Sorry thats just not true.
7000 staff sacked last year due to failures to meet basic standards, even having time off for illnesses acquired whilst treating patients will result in disciplinary action.

As for veneration of nurses, again, simply not true, only have to read the multiple posts on here to see that a great deal of people don't think much of nurses etc

Still not convinced?
Look up assaults on NHS staff - almost 300k assaults on front line staff last year.

The NHS is in a mess because over decades we have funded it lower than other European health systems by 1 or 2% per capita, doesn't sound much but over 30 or 40 years, its massive amount of shortfall, coupled with a total failure to plan for demand as we age and general decline in health (thats on us though)

One of the many contributing reasons the NHS is in its current state is the ridiculous reverence its been shown over the years with the daft assumption that all nurses are angels. Its just like any organization with good and bad staff but with the added complication that, as is common in the public sector, bad staff are not held to account. The public sector is already bloated - it needs proper management, not endless cash and misplaced veneration

Perhaps if hospital staff - all of them - were valued more than footballers and singers it would help. Someone upthread said we should be careful what we wish for when politicians talk about less money for the NHS, and less resources in the public sector.

I'm glad you had a good experience, all experiences are not equal.

I wouldn't have cared whether it was a nurse. A HCA. A porter or the bloody car park assistant, whether they were male or female..
just someone to help.

.

It was. I could say much more, but I don't want to bore everyone on a thread that's not even about me!!

That sounds horrendous

I've been in hospital from unconscious to being able to get up and walking around. My bed sheets were changed daily by an hca, they also washed me when I couldn't and encouraged me to wash myself when I could. Nurses have enough to do without looking after patients in that way.