To come out of retirement for Coronavirus

[AlexaAmbidextra]

Are you a retired nurse or doctor? I’m a retired nurse and there’s no way on God’s earth I’m coming out of retirement for this. Not because of the personal risk but the fact that I’m just done with working. Should I be more unselfish?

Those who die of this virus would do so regardless of whether retired hcps return to work or not. Stop trying to guilt them @FourTeaFallOut, it won’t make a ha’pporth of difference.

I'm an ex ITU nurse but still work for the nhs
I'm dreading them asking for ITU trained staff to help

Their two pronged attack seems to consist of bringing more vulnerable people out of retirement, and telling people to sing Happy Birthday while washing their hands. We are so lucky to have these people “looking after” us .

I'm not trying to guilt anyone, I just object to the dehumanising of those who will die to send a message to the government.

SirChing there’s an awful lot of assumption about me personally in your post there. FWIW I’d probably have way more practical skills/knowledge applicable to frontline healthcare than a retired specialist nurse, but my skills/qualifications/expertise lay elsewhere and will continue to be needed unless society completely breaks down. Anyway, I think I’ll just leave it there, it doesn’t feel you’re very receptive to others’ opinions at the moment.

There’s absolutely no way I am coming out of retirement to return to nursing. I retired at 63 because of physical and mental burnout and have zero inclination to subject myself to that again.
I still can’t decide whether there’s a need to be anxious about Coronavirus or not, so long as common sense prevails and people are vigilant about hand washing etc.

I'm not trying to guilt anyone, I just object to the dehumanising of those who will die to send a message to the government

Like I said, anyone who dies of this will do so anyway through low immunity or frailty. While refusing to help out a government that’s decimated the NHS and robbed a generation of women of years of their pensions may play a part, many of those people are in the vulnerable group being warned to be super careful. Who can blame them for not putting themselves and their family at risk?

Well, like I said, I simply object to the snotty attitude that a good number of illnesses and deaths would really teach everyone a lesson without a modicum of concern for those who will die, which is why I commented on that shitty comment in particular and have not made any views on what retired hcps should or should be asked to do.

@FourTeaFallOut Nope because I feel devastated that people will and already are dying due to foreseeable risks. Coronavirus wasn't foreseen, but a pandemic has been on the cards for years. The NHS and government knew that. Drs and nurses striked and raised public awareness, enough of whom didn't care and actively voted to take the risk.

Not wanting to now risk my own and my family's lives by helping when shit has become real for people is not saying "I told you so".

Or should not be asked to do.

@FourTeaFallOut I do agree I could have worded it better because I definitely don't want people to die simply to teach the government a lesson. But people DO need to own the reality of their decisions instead of thinking things will never effect them. I feel sad that lots of people are probably about to learn that the hard way, and wish it wasn't so. But I am not willing to risk death because people didn't take the need for the NHS to be fully functioning seriously.

Can you just go back and have a quick look at the quote I took issue with. If you cannot see "I told you so" you are being willfully dense.

I never bloody mentioned one single thing about what people should do.

@FourTeaFallOut Wilfully dense? I am afraid I don't engage with those who make personal attacks. Have a good day and stay safe.

Oh dear, that went well.

@Alsohuman

Evergreen post on Mumsnet!

Well it's going well in here. Quick break for a cup of tea and it's all kicked off.

At the end of the day - IF it becomes that much of a crisis surely the govt would consider action like conscription? Until then if people want or don't want to volunteer it is up to them.

Oooh thank goodness @OrangeCinnamon. I thought I had killed the thread and would have to deliver CPR!

*Voluntary retirement in itself is a selfish concept in a way (not judging people for doing it, if I had the money to retire entirely I might do one day) but refusing to come out of it for a few months during a pandemic is definitely selfish. I struggle to understand the reasoning that the risk doesn’t matter to you, you just really don’t want to work.g

Reginabambina. Tell me. For how many years have you been in full-time paid work?

The strategy of trying to guilt and shame others into risking their lives is not going to work. But by all means, supporters of this government, crack on!

At the end of the day - IF it becomes that much of a crisis surely the govt would consider action like conscription?

That is what concentration camps were all about! That worked so well, didn't it. Cannot fucking believe that is even suggested.

Its not the retirees job to come out and prop up an NHS that successive govts have run down to the bone.

Other european countries aren't suggesting this.

The virus affects the older person far more than the young, so its stupid to suggest they go into this sort of environment, they'd get ill and take up more resource.

t the end of the day - IF it becomes that much of a crisis surely the govt would consider action like conscription?

What are they going to do, shoot people at dawn if they won't do it? Prisons are full as it is, so doubt they'd put people there.

Voluntary retirement in itself is a selfish concept in a way

You must be joking. Spending your money on a car is selfish then. Buying a house is selfish. Going shopping is selfish.

Expecting people to come out of a retirement they have saved for to take care of you, at the risk of their own health, goes a long way past selfish!

From what I am reading, this is a marathon, not a sprint, with the chance of it becoming endemic in humans like other cold/flu bugs. Therefore (for once, please think ahead Matt Hancock!), it would make sense to scrap nursing fees, expand the medical staff programs and offer more paid work shifts during the winter flu crisis. Because flu+coronovirus can easily double the number of patients requiring admittance over that period each year.

It would also make more sense to recruit current healthcare students if we need them for the immediate crisis, but I am very aware that the final year requires them in placements anyway. So, we are robbing Peter to pay Paul.