To get narked about the misuse of the word Nurse

[stanausauruswrecks]

Particularly the term "nurse" (insert other HCP as appropriate) being used by people who are not actually on the NMC register?
Following on from a link on the Anabel Karmel thread, there was a link to the advice Clare Byam Cook gives re breastfeeding. She starts her biography with the blurb "I am a qualified nurse and midwife...gave up work in 1985..." however she's not actually on the NMC register. Surely if she's not registered as fit to practice, she's shouldn't be implying that she is a nurse?

surely you can be 'qualified' without being registered if eg you have let your reg lapse. You still have your qualifications.

I think I see what you mean but if she was a qualified, registered nurse/midwife pre 1985 she is still entitled to use those titles, just not pretend that she still practices as such.
Lots of people who move on from clinical practice to other roles (she is an author I assume, not familiar with her name) do not keep up their registration. Perhaps she is registered in another country? I am registered in 3!

She is what she claims to be (or at least I assume she is...) a qualified nurse - if she then says she gave up working in that field in 1985 then those who know about such things would know her registration has lapsed. Even those of us who don't know that will know that, if she gave it up in 1985 her qualification/experience etc are now a bit dated.

how can you be a midwife and not be a nurse?

Nancy66,
You can.

You can train separately.

Empirical evidence would suggest those MWs with nursing training don't tend to kill as many people.

I guess you train solely as a midwife and therefore wouldn't be able to work as a nurse in A&E ?

I see what you mean.
I have just been put back on the register after yrs out of nursing.
I think in her situation it does no harm , I presume she gives advice on breastfeeding ? And I presume she is up to date on that subject.
However if she was calling herself a nurse and giving nursing/medical advice then that's wrong.

As for HCAs I think THEY should have a register .Whole other topic though.

Nancy66 - some modern courses for midwifery are direct entry - you don't have to be a nurse. Which is madness because how midwives are then expected to care for women with health issues, both mental and physical is beyond me. But that's a whole other AIBU It's a fairly recent thing though in the UK.

You can train seperately now. YOu couldn't before , not sure exactly when it changed.

YANBU - I think someone who hasn't worked in clinical practice for 25 years is slightly out of date with current advice, research and practice.

You no longer have to train to be a nurse in order to become a midwife (although years ago you did).

She is entitled to call herself a nurse but as others have stated it's just that her registration has lapsed. All she has to do to re register is complete a return to practice course (about 12 weeks at the moment I believe) and she will be current and not a 3 year course that anyone else would have to do.

Sassy all midwifery courses are now direct entry - you don't have to be a nurse first.

Agree that it would be wrong to be giving out medical advice if she has been out of practice for a number of years.

CBC has written a very informative book on beastfeeding. She is a practicing breastfeeding consultant and has given several talks to groups of expectant mothers with the NCT.

Direct-entry midwifery has been on the go since 1992. In Scotland that is; not sure about rest of UK. I am one

We received plenty of training in caring for women with other health issues, Sassy.
And to my knowledge I have never killed anyone!

YANBU about people like Claire Verity who use titles such as maternity nurse, which don't even exist.

"Which is madness because how midwives are then expected to care for women with health issues, both mental and physical is beyond me."

Mmmmm, maybe because I trained for 3 years to learn how to care for women inc those with health issues.

blethers there is training to become a maternity nurse, no different to being a nursery nurse surely? Just a title lol

Yeah lol.

The VAST majority of midwives now do direct entry. There are hardly any training places for qualified nurses who would like to become midwives - unless they can afford to give up work and do another three year diploma or degree!

Sore subject as a nurse who would love to become a midwife, but, erm, can't.

I don't have a problem with someone who is qualified saying they are whether they are still registered or not, but I agree that "nurse" is misused in a way that doctor, for example, is not, e.g. HCAs/CSWs being described as "nurses"...funny nobody ever describes a nurse practitioner as a doctor isn't it!

Blethers - just out of interest, how long did you spend in mental health and learning difficulty placements in your training ? It used to be one of the key areas of concern for both midwifery managers and patient groups that women with mental health needs and/or learning difficulties wouldn't receive the appropriate level of care if staff hadn't received adequate training. How has that been addressed ?

The OP did seem to be making reference to the NMC register... and you won't find any maternity nurses on there.

It is "just a title" but can be misleading.

LOL @ the idea that CB-C is qualified to give BF advice.

She isn't.

She trained as a midwife in the 70s and afaik has done no training since. Certainly nothing specialised in BF - in fact she is fairly disparaging about NCT BFCs.

Sassybeast- Interesting point about relevent training in MH and LD issues however in my experience, General Nurses do not receive much training in these groups either.

One week in mental health and nothing in Learning Difficulties. Agree that Learning Difficulties would be a good placement.

But even though only one week of actual placement there is a lot of time both practical and academic looking at mental health. Two modules of "psycho/social issues affecting midwifery", laods of lectures on p/n depression, a/n depression, anxiety, puerperal psychosis.

How much placement time does a general nurse get in MH?