To think that this won’t improve the nursing shortage?

[Borninthe80sx]

Someone on my Facebook shared an article that said covid19 in years to come will improve the shortage of nurses as more of the younger generation will feel inspired to train as nurses in the future as they are seeing how pivotal the role is. Whilst nurses are being shown to perform life-saving roles in this pandemic and they truly are amazing, they are working extremely long hours, putting themselves at such risks and are not paid in the way that they should be. Also, there are nurses losing their lives! I have so much respect for them but I actually am
not sure that I would encourage my children to train as one. AIBU to think that this won’t improve the nursing shortage?

Decent pay and conditions is the only thing that will improve the nursing crisis.

If anything a crisis like this is putting off new medical professionals

While nurses continue to have to pay to do a degree, have poor working conditions and low pay I can’t imagine the uptake will increase.

@PoppliosBubble did they bring the bursary back, or did they just talk about it?

An easy way to improve recruitment would be to refund nursing degrees. That and better pay.

I agree, I think a lot of people would be put off. I know a lot of nurses who are struggling with carrying on working due to the fear of catching it. I imagine a lot of the people who in the past might have considered nursing will now consider whether in a pandemic they want to be at a greater risk of catching it. I’m a midwife, when I trained I never once thought my job might kill me. Now I do.

This virus might resurface every few years, even every year.

Or in 10 years time, 5. Years time it could be a different virus.

They need to bring the bursary back but make it more generous so people who are mature students can afford to train.

The new rules after Brexit mean many EU nurses will not earn enough to enter the UK, the mind boggles.

Bursary or no, nursing shouldn't be a dangerous job - you shouldn't have to do a degree to risk your life on the front line.

Someone on my Facebook shared an article that said covid19 in years to come will improve the shortage of nurses as more of the younger generation will feel inspired to train as nurses in the future as they are seeing how pivotal the role is.

I don’t think anyone really believes that, no. The only thing that will improve the nursing shortage is better pay and conditions. Scrapping the fees will be sensible too.

Posted too soon...
I have flirted with the idea of going into the care profession as I think I may have a lot to offer, but I wanted to be in position where I could take a massive pay cut. Not now though.

I guess it's a secure job as whilst everything else is up in the air nurses are needed. But no I don't think it'll inspire many young people

It's pretty shocking all things considered that fees were ever brought in for nursing degrees. Most nurses will never earn high salaries and there's a huge shortage of nurses.

In fact it's pretty stupid that a degree became the only entry route - it should be an option but not the main one.

That, as others have obviously already said, is the biggest initial problem to be rectified.

I can’t see it helping at all if anything it will worsen it as a lot of nurses who have thought about changing careers but haven’t done for whatever reason will likely decide to once the pandemic is over. It will act as a catalyst for a lot of them as they won’t want to risk having to do this ever again.

Well if I'd known years ago that one day I'd turn up to work and be told that my job was no more and I was now to go and work on a "covid ward" with PPE that expired 10 years ago, I never would have signed up.

We basically feel like cannon fodder right now. Save the Thursday clapping, we aren't actresses, get us some proper in date PPE!

@Popc0rn, it’s an absolute scandal. My PIN lapsed last year and wild horses wouldn’t drag me back. The risks are too high. I’ve had questions and comments about it in RL. Funnily enough, all from people outside of the nursing/healthcare professions. The govt knew this was coming, why did they wait so long to roll out the PPE deliveries? Why was it a reactive move rather than a proactive one?

Out of date PPE? Is that from the deliveries/govt stockpile or old stock from your Trust? Who is/was in charge of monitoring and checking the stocks and ensuring that equipment was properly sealed and in date?

For every person this crisis (and the handling of it) ‘inspires’ into training in a healthcare role, it will deter tens (possibly hundreds) from it.

All the very best to those working under what must be exhausting and terrifying conditions .

@TwinsTrollsAndHunz

In my hospital someone has simply stuck new expiry date stickers on surgical and ffp3 masks, which originally expired between 3 - 10 years ago.

Not sure whose in charge of ordering PPE. Public Health England have changed the guidelines around PPE three times already in the last 3 weeks. The problem is everywhere in the world is in the same boat I guess so serious problem with supply.

This article gave me the rage though:
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-nhs-protective-equipment-jeremy-hunt-eye-protection-a9431311.html

I never thought I'd hand my notice in with no job to go to, but I also never thought I'd be scared of dying or being seriously ill from work. Yes I have nursed patients with other infectious diseases, like flu, TB, norovirus, HIV, hep B & C, but always with suitable PPE!

Can't find the link, but updating expiry dates happening in other places too

In Scotland you do get a bursery which is increasing. I am going back to restart my nursing degree, had to leave due to various issues & always regretted that I did. Dont know if you will get more youngsters becoming nurses, struggling to get them before this outbreak, cant see it enticing them in now.

I’ve seen that the PPE guidance has changed a lot over the weeks and is now in line with W.H.O. It’s great that the new improved guidance is in place but it’s nothing more than lip service if the equipment required to meet it is out of date, in such short supply that single use items are being used multiple times, or simply nonexistent.

They reinstated the nursing bursary in England very recently but it was half of the original amount (which was hard enough to get by on as a student, as it was).

I think the way in which this crisis might improve the nursing shortage is if unemployment is high after jobs are lost in other sectors. Any secure job is likely to seem attractive.

It depends on a lot of different factors. The one thing it is is secure and yhat could become important.

The new nursing "bursary" is a grant which can be applied for on top of student loans. However fees still need to be paid, and a loan is usually taken out to cover this.