AIBU to think that Cameron is telling nurses to do things that they already do?

[MyNameIsNotNurse]

Or aim to do given the oppertunity.
Link

David Cameron's 'ideas'
Hourly checks on patients to make sure they have had enought to eat/drink and are comefortable.
Isn't this just basic care?
Also to have members of the public doing spot checks on their local hospitals, isn't this just going a bit too far?

I would really like him to do a 12 hour shift on a busy ward, with sick people needing more than just the hourly walk around to make sure that things are ok.
What about the patients who are in need of 15 minute observations. Patients with poor mobility who take more than 30 seconds to get to the toilet and needs assistance every step of the way. What about the drug rounds? Then multiply that by 30 pateints for 2 staff nurses (some with little experiance) If 1 patient is really ill thats 1 nurse down so 30 patients beeing looked after by 1 nurse, and maybe 1 or 2 HCA.

Why does he not discuss the staffing issues, which most wards have the mountains of paper work which each and every nurse has to get through every shift which takes away from the care of patients.
Most nurses I know stay behind to finish paperwork, turn into work when they or their family is not well, go without breaks, work 12hours a shift, do extra shifts and Given up our measily 3% payrise over 3 years.

He's just making a lot of noise saying we should do things we already do in order that the public think we're not doing them and we lose support?

Kellamity I think your grandmother's care was exceptional,it's widely know there is a crisis re the care given to the elderly on wards.

If we were all that bad the nhs would be on its knees

okay it is struggling but you can still gey life saving care whoever you are

try living in a third world country where you have to bribe a doctor to see you

i think this is indicative of our culture. people are just never happy and expect something for nothing

nurses can only work within the constraints of the system. if you care so much get out and protest against a society that values image and power over care and humanity

there is no money to bring staffing levels up and yet people will not vote the right way

it is greed, money and selfish bloody attitudes and yet we still expect the over worked and under paid to provide perfect care when things don't go the right way

In some cases I've received far more empathy from doctors and consultants than from the nurses themselves.

Sorry I can't complain about any of the doctors and consultants I've come across because they've all been fab. Said doctors/consultants are not actually paid to give out empathy,nurse or care but to treat anyhow but even so I've been very impressed by pretty much all the doctors and consultants I've come across.

Too true boglach. I would be interested to know how anyone expects one nurse to care for 16 patients on their own (general surgical ward, very busy).

When I worked in a private hospital, we had a dependency score for the ward. If the dependency level rose we got more staff.

In the NHS if the dependency level rises, hard cheese. You have to make do with the staff you have.

mrshefferly it sounds dangerously like you have some weird vendetta against nurses

What is the problem?

You have these competing tasks to complete before you go off duty, which doesn't leave you with much time at all.

1. someone needs to be assisted to the toilet
2. a wound dressing needs doing
3. the phone is ringing
4. your paper/computer work is behind - you have many things to record before going off duty otherwise the other nurse won't know what's been done and records will be incomplete
5. somebody needs a painkiller
6. a relative needs to speak to you

What do you do first?

If you stay behind at work you will fail to collect your child from school and have nobody else to do it.

Come on then, MrsHeffley you choose which tasks to complete and which to leave

The scary thing is how much it varies from hospital to hospital and ward to ward. Surely the high standard on one ward should be achievable on every ward of a similar nature.

What is needed is the wards that are showing good practise look at them find out what they are doing well and how they are doing it and then take that best practise everywhere else. Surely that shouldn't be asking a lot even if just done on a local level?

The levels of care my son has received has been outstanding, nothing to much for the staff. Like most wards the staff are run ragged but they are a fantastic team which I thinks helps nothing is to much for them, or at the same time nothing is to little. You are as likely to see the matron taking water to patients as you are the HCA on the ward. I do think that by having such a hands on matron that sends the right message to the other staff.

To email DC just put l0 Downing street in your search engine and find your way to emails in the site.

Boglach I don't think anyone is saying all nurses are bad. When I was in hospital there were nurses who were extremely competent, hard working and yes, caring.

And |I remember them with gratitude. But others were not good and there are too many posts on here describing frankly inadequate care .

Its not all about staffing levels unfortunately. Some nurses are just much better /more competent/caring whatever than others. And the better ones don't deserve to be let down by these others.

Agedknee - that isn't the same on every ward though. When DS was in hospital he was in the HDU room which meant he needed 1-1 nursing, for the 5 days he was in HDU they brought in an extra member of staff to ensure nobodies care was compromised.

Oh and if the doctors gave you good care, it couldn't have been without some good nursing

who took your bp and gave you meds prescribed? who reported to the doctor your vital signs and other daily indicators so that the doctor could make informed clinical decidions?

do you think doctors do their job in a vacuum without good nurses and other members of the health team communicating with them?

1. someone needs to be assisted to the toilet - this resident needs to be hoisted by two members of staff
2. a wound dressing needs doing - it has leaked all over the bed and the patient is distressed
3. the phone is ringing -it's an important call that you need to take
4. your paper/computer work is behind - you have many things to record before going off duty otherwise the other nurse won't know what's been done and records will be incomplete
5. somebody needs a painkiller -that somebody is terminally ill, restless and trying to get out of bed
6. a relative needs to speak to you -the relative made a trivial complaint two days ago and now the entire staff is pissed off with said relative for causing trouble and bad feeling

You're also tired and have had nothing to eat for 5 hours. You have a headache and can't find your paracetamol. See how complicated and stressful things can get. This happens day after day after day after day. A Relentless and unforgiving work environment.

Sofadweller of course there are bad nurses and i am truly saddened when poor care is through genuine bad nursing

but for all the instances where bad care is through an institutional failure, well i blame society as a whole

Exactly why I think Cameron's ideas are good.Surely if it is a blueprint,non negotiable minimum for patients nurses will have to do it and will have more power to say if they really can't.

Hourly checks seriously should be given,they aren't.

Vendetta against nurses,what just because I'm describing my numerous shite experiences?

It's just my experience of 31 years in the NHS.

We had a patient who needed transferring to another hospital at 10pm at nignt. If I had not gone with him (was on late shift, so should have gone at 9.45pm) they would have been happy for 32 patients to be looked after by 1 RN and 1 HCA.

Oh and getting back home at 2am and then being expected to be back in at 7am in the morning.

come on MrsHeffley you haven't answered my question.

Also, don't forget that you need to fit in hourly checks amongst the other tasks I've given you.

Absolutely hiddenhome and anyone would get burnt out

what will change nursing is more staff, better career structure, regular breaks and more time

it is not some fundamental inability to care amongst the whole profession. that is the biggest pile of shite i have ever read on mumsnet. and i have been here a while

Oh, sorry, I also forgot to add that you've been sent a utilities bill that you can't meet this month, your car failed its MOT and your aged mother has just been diagnosed with an unpleasant and incurable illness, so you're not feeling great about life in general.

It's not for me to answer Hidden I'm not paid to do it,some(the occasional gems I alluded to) do manage it so ask them.

Come on MrsHeffley this is the reality. These examples have been taken from real life experiences. I haven't make them up.

Do all patients need hourly checks though? At some points they may need 15 min checks, at others they may be safely sleeping and in a stable condition where 2 or 3 hours between checks (other than a head around the curtain as walking past!) can be made.

You're not paid to do it?

Do you expect anybody to function adequately in situations like this?

occasional gems? Are you for real? How patronising is that?

Hidden sorry we all have shit in life,why exactly should nurses be allowed to do a below par job because of daily shit and not others?Nurses are paid to do a job end of.If it's too much,move on.

The bloody Nursing Standard Nurse Of The Year would struggle in circumstances such as these ffs!

This is the reality for thousands of nurses every day of the week.

You have no idea.

But mrshefferly you haven't merely described your bad experiences, you have inferred very general things from them that just aren't true

yes your experiences are real and sad but a fundamental inibility to care across the profession cannot be inferred as if fact

and your assertion that doctors are immune from the same issues seemed a little contrite