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?

On my nursing course we had one 4 week placement in MH in the first year.

Ditto Gothdetective.

So only 3 weeks more. I know the girls on the 18month course that I trained with when we qualified reckoned they felt less ready that the rest of us. The only plus they felt they brought with them from nursing was (apart from team working, confidence, people skills) was setting up and IV and placing a catheter.

Sorry OP, we are hijacking.

If I didn't continue practising and my registration lapsed I would probably still describe myself as as m/w but make it clear I'd been out of practise for a while. So I don't mind a retired nurse calling herself a nurse as long as she doesn't mislead people or give them medical advice.

I don't know this Clare Byam Cook person but if she gave up work in 1985 then I don't think she should be giving B/F advice as its changed so much. So it does sound like maybe she is giving out of date, crap advice.

I did 12 weeks MH in my general nurse training. 12 weeks paeds and 12 weeks care of the elderly. That was the old SRN training.

Also, have heard on the NHS grapevine that some hospitals have put all staff in the same uniform (colour), so it looks like there are loads of qualified nurses on the ward instead of the usual 1 qualified and the rest unqualified.

Very cunning.

agedknees-me too , old RGN and we did a 3 month placement on psychiatric ward.
I even went on to do my 18mos RMN training afterwards but never practiced in it.

The old way of training sounds the best tbh, I would have benefitted from 3 months General Nurse training (im an RMN) and I have met countless RGN's who would have benefitted from longer MH training.

After general training, I did 18 months midwifery. Practised as a midwife for 10 years.

Working as a nurse now, so I would call myself nurse and not midwife.

Sorry 0P this is becomeing a nurses thread!!!

She is qualified, but I would question what relevance a (an at least) 25 years old nursing certificate has to do with being a breastfeeding consultant. I have a 30 year old life saving qualification, but don't proclaim to be a lifeguard.

So, did she qualify as a nurse at some point? But isn;t now regisered as not working as a nurse anymore?

I refer to myself as a qualified teacher. However I am no longer registered as I am not currently practising as a teacher. But I am still qualified as a teacher and, so long as I sign up and pay my pay, I am still qualified and capable to teach.

The thing that annoys me is everyone wears a "nurses" uniform these days, beauty therapists, hairdressers, care staff, etc etc

louii - why anyone would voluntarily wear a nurses uniform baffles me. They are hidious.

Loads of jobs here that they wear what i would recognise as a nurses uniform. Doubt it through choice, is the uniform in their job.

Hulababy - the thing is she wouldn't be qualified to nurse anymore. You have to work so many hours (450?) over a 3 year period or you're seemed no longer fit to practise and have to do a "return to practice" course.

I've never seen any care staff wearing a nurses uniform unless they were also a nurse - we used to wear those hideous blue/white pinstripe dresses -

this also bugs me.

a line from a local paper this week

'5 nurse midwife posts blah blah blah...'

in actual fact these posts are neither nurses nor midwives but maternity health care assistants.

And why do midwives in hospital wear nurse uniform anyway?

I also think you can be a non practicing qualified nurse or midwife. Whether you are a registered nurse or midwife is a completely different matter - and not one the average lay person would easily identify.

That's why she calls herself a 'qualified nurse' for the 'professional' image.

the question is these days what IS a nurses uniform?

Most 'maternity nurses' don't actual refer to themselves as that. I call myself a maternity nanny and am a qualified maternity practitioner. The other title is postnatal cater which a lot of people confuse with a postnatal doula so I choose not to refer to myself as one.

It's people like Claire Verity, who was totally unqualified (and yes there are qualifications above and beyond normal nanny training) who give modern MNs a bad name.

Personally I'm very careful not to use the title nurse as I think it implies medical training which I don't have.

A nurses uniform is a shapeless baggy dress/tunic to be worn with baggy clown trousers that fit no normal woman I have ever met.

They fit pretty snugly around the arse of most nurses.

I have a small arse, so they are very baggy on me.

Is you calling us nurses fat!!!!!

Get her girls.

Him.

I claim no studies, empirical evidence only.

Him.

Thats even worse.