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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why are some NHS staff unkept looking?

400 replies

BoozySuzie · 29/01/2008 17:33

I don't visit hospitals often thank goodness but I can't help but notice a lot of staff in hospitals are quite scruffy. Surely working in a hospital environment it is imperitive to be spotlessly clean and well groomed?? The Philipino nurses always look clean and tidy it's just our staff.

OP posts:
nhsmanager · 31/01/2008 14:26

I challenge you to come to my ward and work a 15 hour shift in charge of 20 patients with nothing but one auxillary to help you out.

I wish you would stop exaggerating.

Habbibu, I speak to nurses, doctors, midwives, allied health professionals and patients. I'm visible, approachable and proactive. I care about my staff, the patients and my Trust.

Habbibu · 31/01/2008 14:29

Good. But that is absolutely NOT the way you have come across here, and I suspect that is why people have been offended not necessarily so much by what you've said, but by how you've said it. You haven't sounded supportive of your nurses, but judgemental.

cali · 31/01/2008 14:30

NHS Manager, maybe if you spent more time "managing" and less time on mumsnet, then your staff would be better supported/managed.
If you really are a manager, then you should be setting a better example to your staff by not getting involved in online discussions during your working day.

expatinscotland · 31/01/2008 14:31

What concerns me about 'nhsmanager' is how she directs all her negativity towards nurses.

Yet she states that as a manager, her role involves 'integrating' people who work in other areas of care as well, and patients, too, of course.

As she reserves pointedly negative comments for nurses exclusively, this makes her bias all the more evident and quite frankly, rather alarming.

She's also posting diatribes during office hours, instead of doing her job.

What a fine use of NI contributions!

expatinscotland · 31/01/2008 14:32

I thought you were leaving the thread 'nhsmanager'?

mrsruffallo · 31/01/2008 14:33

nhs manager/boozy susie- You still don't ring true to me. Just what do you manage? A whole trust or an OP dept or what? How long have you worked in the NHs? And why do you feel your staff members who have an opinion about the NHS need to modernise?

ladylush · 31/01/2008 14:34

Well said AM. Sensationalist? Peurile? I don't think so. RL nurses have given their opinion and nhsmanager hasn't even bothered to comment on the issues they raised. Some manager.

AnneMayesR · 31/01/2008 14:34

What would make you think I am exaggerating?

I do work 15 hour shifts. They are supposed to be shorter but there is no way I can get out on time when you take into consideration the workload and the legal responsibilities.

There is a recruitment freeze at my hospital aand they are making frontline staff redundant whilst hiring new managers.

My colleague came on duty to find that she was one nurse to 24 surgical patients. She had 11 to go to theatre and many would come back on her shift. She called management and begged for help and was told "tough" and "deal with it".

One of her patients crashed and that kept her so busy that she missed another patient's urinary output completely stopping (going into failure) and it stopped her from monitering her post ops properly.

Another patient fell on the floor while she was running around sorting out a bleeder to go back to theatre.

Management blamed her for "not doing her job properly". I guess she was supposed to astroproject and be 10 places at once so that the trust could save more money for more managers.

These kind of ratios are getting to be the norm at my trust and from what I hear, it is happening other places as well.

Habbibu · 31/01/2008 14:35
expatinscotland · 31/01/2008 14:37

Honestly, AM, you're talking to a brick wall when it comes to 'nhsmanager' - I preferred her as 'BoozySuzie' myself .

The best one can hope for is that this is a wind up, because the alternative is honestly frightening.

nhsmanager · 31/01/2008 14:44

I'm actually on leave this week. Also, why do you think I'm the OP?

I'm judgemental? So calling NHS managers names is not being judgemental?

I have commented briefly on the issues raised and I could comment further but it really is pointless seeing as most of your minds are already made up.

I'm going to the gym now!

toomanydaves · 31/01/2008 14:50

no time to read this all but...wtf? Who are you really boozysuzie you have to be a windup.

mrsruffallo · 31/01/2008 14:54

Hmmm why can't s/he answer any questions about her job? This is a bit fishy

MrsEi25 · 31/01/2008 14:55

hi i havent read all of the comments but i just thought i would add...as a health care assistant/ student nurse with the NHS we are told that we MUST be neat and tidy with our hair off the collar (tied up neatly) with a high standard of hand hygiene. it is a bit of an insult TBH to be tarred with the 'scruffy-brush' just because the OP might have seen one or two bad examples of nurses/ NHS workers who are not as tidy as some might expect. i think that if they were seen to be dirty with poor standards of care then there would be a reasonable argument to be made but as it is mainly a bit of a moan about creased uniforms then it is petty and short sighted to call them dirty etc. i have seen a few nurses who dont look exactly tidy (creased uniform/ too small etc) and they usually are excellent healthcare professionals who care more about the patient than they do about whether they have ironed their tunic before work.
if you rarely go into hospitals for whatever reason then you really havent gained a properly rounded opinion of the staff.

Kewcumber · 31/01/2008 14:59

I just can't be arsed to read whole thread (presume its contentious or there wouldn;t be so many posts!)

Don;t care one jot if NHS staff are scruffy. Do care if they aren't clean. It isn;t the same thing at all.

I'm often scruffy doesn't make me a bad finance director or a bad mother.

I don't want to be a customer, I want to be a patient.

Recent discussion with my GP - "where do you want to go to see your rheumatologist?" KC "Um, don't know, I know nothing about rheumatology. Where's a good place to go?"
GP "well its a bit irrelevant as you can't select a certain doctor only a hospital."

Welcome to the world of patient choice.

NomDePlume · 31/01/2008 15:00

Patient choice is rubbish !

Kathyis6incheshigh · 31/01/2008 15:05

"I don't want to be a customer, I want to be a patient."

Hear hear Kewcumber.

I also (with reference to one of NHSManager's earlier posts) don't want to be treated by a nurse who cares two hoots about how s/he is coming across as an 'ambassador for their trust'. I want to be treated by one who is doing her best for her patients.

expatinscotland · 31/01/2008 15:14

tripp trap

Snaf · 31/01/2008 19:12

nhsmanager, you still haven't explained what you meant by your earlier post re: clinicians, especially midwives, thinking the NHS revolves around them.

It's an interesting viewpoint. Especially considering 99.9% of the midwives I know are only too aware of just how far down the list of priorities their particular specialism lies... Do you think you could elaborate?

cheshirekitty · 31/01/2008 19:30

NHS manager, you still have not answered my question, do you support safe staffing levels on your wards?

Have you any idea of the ratio of qualified nurses to patients on your surgical and medical wards? If not, why not. Call yourself a manager.

I would be more concerned with safe practice then if someone has ironed their uniforms.

Speaking as someone who works in outpatients (after 26 years on the wards), I was amazed that management had messed with the clinic list today and had 2 patients scheduled for my clinic at the same time (clinic is very specialised and only has 1 doctor). So who took the abuse from patients waiting longer then necessary to see the doctor, was it management? Oh no, the nurse takes the flak again.

Those that do, do. Those that can't manage.

By all means work yourself up about something, but make sure it is worth working yourself up for ie, safe staffing levels and not unironed uniforms.

expatinscotland · 31/01/2008 19:48

in Tayside, managers were caught red-handed striking customers patients from the wait list for oncological surgery in order to make it appear the consultant had met targets.

What a patient-focused policy!

ladylush · 31/01/2008 21:16

I'm still incredulous that nhsmanager accused AM of exaggerating. How would she know?

Frankendooby · 31/01/2008 21:29

New thread...Why do so many patients in hospital appear unkempt and down right scruffy
I used to be a nurse and I think this OP is absolutely ridiculous.

ladylush · 31/01/2008 21:36

Except she said "unkept" - I suppose she doesn't care whether nurses can spell or not so long as they look glam

scottishmummy · 01/02/2008 08:40

dont think boozySuzie is a nurse unkept yes i chortled at all the thought of kept staff, the nurse compound, the OT compound, the medics compound. i think suzie the lush means kempt but got blinded applying mascara and couldn't see the keyboard