A Maximum BMI for nurses

[soapydopeybubbles]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/21/how-public-thinks-nhs-should-change/

According to the Telegraph one of the most popular ideas for improving the NHS is to have a maximum BMI for nurses. This is from the website set up for suggestions but also continues in the comments for the article.

I'm a neonatal nurse and I am classed as obese. I wear L/XL scrubs and I'm a dress size 14-16.

Does the public honestly think that I'd be a better nurse if I was thinner? Or, as written in the comments, if I wore a cap and apron, had no tattoos and didn't dye my hair?

I'm a large woman but I'm pretty sure I wasn't magically better and making up complex medications, changing ridiculously tiny nappies and resuscitating sick newborns when I was rather thinner than I am now.

I can see why people might have the opinion that if we're giving out health advice we should lead by example but it's mainly the doctors giving the advice and the nurses doing the hands on caring.

I just don't understand why there seems to be such a focus on how a particular staff group looks, rather than the actual issues in the NHS.

AIBU?

To give you an idea of the other suggestions:

• put memes on the walls of hospitals/GP surgeries
• remove healthcare for tory scum
• NHS-wetherspoons partnership to put pubs in hospitals
• tax over 60s more
• fire the right honourable member for ilford north out of a cannon
• ban apples from hospitals
• get rid of britain

The Telegraph are reporting on this one suggestion of the thousands of pisstakes to stir the pot (although I think some of the above may have merit!)

Can I ask what are your tasks within the community? Is it physical tasks or admin tasks?

@setmestraightplease 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.

I wonder throw that will help the staffing crisis.

@soapydopeybubbles please don’t take it personally. There are hundreds of suggestions on there that are utter rubbish ranging from getting vets to work in A&E to invading France to get more medical equipment. My personal favourite though was replacing the Secretary of State with a dog.

BMI is bollocks - I was having chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, very thin, prescribed ensures for nutrition and a tiny size 8 at 5ft 7.

BMI classed me as overweight 😂😂😂

Surely if you’re a working nurse you can see that what the nhs needs more than anything else is to reduce its pool of trained nurses?

Surely we should set a minimum breast size as well? Just to narrow down the options further and not because we want to leer at the professionals who care for us

Fucking LOL at the idea that I’m so fond of my PIN I’d go on a diet to keep it 🙄

If you needed an example of how most members of the public are as thick as mince, this is it.

Take an essential profession, which is subject to chronic workforce shortages, and introduce a totally arbitrary rule that will reduce the pool of available staff even further.

Absolute genius.

And if I’m completely honest, I wouldn’t want a health care professional taking care of me who solely judged me on my weight and presumed I don’t take my health seriously.

Do I think your ability to do your job is impacted by your size? No. Do I agree there becomes a point where size becomes inhibitory? Yes.

It's pointless pretending size has no impact. It's a demanding job, constantly moving and on your feet. Run if there is an emergency. If you're extremely large and struggling to fit around the equipment, out of breath, can't run to respond to emergency situations etc then you aren't doing your job. Just like you wouldn't want a very obese fireperson.

BMI doesn't constitute ability to do those things. I have an obese BMI and would he physically able to do the job. But it does react a point where you can't.

Strangely, when seriously ill in hospital and again when admitted for surgery I was very nervous about I didn’t notice the size of the medical staff. I was just bloody glad they had the expertise and knowledge to treat me. And the fact that 100% of them were kind, reassuring and respectful were added bonuses.

Ignore the Torygraph.
I am surprised they haven't front-paged a government scheme to make all NHS staff house a migrant. Anything to rile up the red chino and Waitrose brigade.

I bet no one has suggested that doctors only work in the NHS and not private practice as well?

No other section of the NHS is allowed to work a second job at the same time as having a full time one?

Much easier to pick on fat nurses….

I am not an NHS worker, but have spent a lot of time hanging around the local hospital for one family member or another in the past 10 years. I would say that if we want healthy nurses then they should be provided access to buy nutritious food on their shifts. If you are working all night, the vending machine is not going to provide that. No wonder someone might put on weight when all they have access to is a packet of walkers and a twix. One canteen worker could surely be enough to sell salads, sarnies, soups and fruit to give people a decent snack or 3am "lunch"?

What a weird suggestion! And not being funny but I think there might be a staffing crisis pronto!
high stress work and shifts and night work aren’t exactly conducive to weight loss

Honestly the best thing to do with this consultation is to read it just for the batshit comments and nothing else. Most of them can be safely ignored.

No idea what Streeting thought was going to happen. Presumably he’s forgotten about Boaty McBoatface.

I think anyone who works in a career where they look after vulnerable people in a physical way and where the job entails long periods of standing/physical activity (and occasional emergency responses) should try their hardest to ensure they are fit enough to do that to the best of their ability. Beyond that, I don’t care.

Looks like clickbait. I wouldn't pay any heed at all!

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

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 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.

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

See also: Brexit.

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.

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.

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