Protect the title Nurse

[Cuck00soup]

Arbella2 has been doing sterling work over on petitions and activism to promote the current petition to protect the title Nurse in law so that it can only be used by those who are qualified and registered with the appropriate organisation.

This isn’t a TAAT, I thought it was worth discussing the feminist aspects of this. The nursing workforce is predominantly female and I can’t help thinking that is part of the issue.

As explained by prof Alison Leary in the blog linked below Although the term Registered Nurse is protected under the 1997 Nurses Midwives and Health Visiting Act, the term “nurse” is not protected in the UK. It’s an issue because the term nurse is the term in common usage. Other professional titles such as physiotherapist, hearing aid dispenser, dental nurse or paramedic are protected in law.

This means anyone can use the term nurse to offer services, advice or be employed as a “nurse”. The use of the term nurse is not restricted to use by Registered Nurses and can be used by many different types of worker. This includes assistive roles such as healthcare support workers or other professionals taking on “nursing” work.

richmondgroupofcharities.org.uk/news/guest-blog-protecting-title-nurse-uk-law

It is women who are most affected by this. If the title Nurse isn’t protected in law, the option to employ unqualified workers becomes tempting to companies looking to save money. This means nursing assistants being placed in positions they shouldn’t be, and patients and the public being at risk of receiving the wrong care. It will also, in all likelihood, exert a downward pressure on the salaries of qualified nurses.

I can’t help wondering if this would even be an issue in professions with more males.

If you would like to sign the petition, please see Arbella2’s thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard/4368136-protect-the-title-nurse-in-uk-law-petition-the-title-nurse-can-be-used-by-anyone-in-the-uk-petition-created-by-professor-alison-leary-rn?reverse=1

ChocolateDeficitDisoder these are not my points but those of the Royal College of Nursing and a leading academic who is a registered nurse. Like a great many others, I support their views. I'm also very pleased that the NMC supports protection of the nurse title. However, as always, everyone is entitled to their own view.

NumberTheory as I said, it's an example , not the basis.

@Cuck00soup

There is an example on the thread of someone who had a pip assessor who described themselves as a nurse. The assessee checked and they weren’t on the professional register. QED they were not a nurse.

Cuck00soup referring to a Mumsnetter's experience during PIP assessment, posted on the Protect the title Nurse in UK law petition thread last Sunday 24th October.

I signed, and agree it’s a feminist issue.

Thank you thinkingaboutLangCleg

From Nursing Times 04/06/21
Prominent Covid-denier and anti vaccination campaigner struck off NMC register. A Fitness to Practise Panel determined that she was no longer a safe or effective nurse. Her behaviour had fallen seriously short of the standards expected of a registered nurse and amounted to misconduct. The NMC panel heard that she had spoken at protests and actively discouraged people from wearing masks, adhering to social distancing and taking vaccinations. She had also made derogatory comments about other nursing and healthcare professionals. She had described nurses as being "complicit in genocide" and "criminals and liars" The panel determined that she had placed members of the public "at serious risk of harm"
She told the Nursing Times that she did not plan to appeal and would continue to call herself a nurse, regardless. She noted that it was 'registered nurse' that was a protected title and not simply 'nurse'. "I don't need to be a nurse to practise aesthetics and I don't need to be a nurse to use my diploma in personal nutrition. But I am a nurse and I will state I am a nurse"

@Arbella2

I'm also very pleased that the NMC supports protection of the nurse title

I'm very pleased too, despite what you seem to think. My point is that these are not meaningful examples - if a job requires a reg nurse then the adverts state that clearly. The jobs you/the NMC mention were quite clearly not only able to be carried by only a reg nurse.

They're not examples of what you seem to be complaining about.

[quote ChocolateDeficitDisorder]@Arbella2

I'm also very pleased that the NMC supports protection of the nurse title

I'm very pleased too, despite what you seem to think. My point is that these are not meaningful examples - if a job requires a reg nurse then the adverts state that clearly. The jobs you/the NMC mention were quite clearly not only able to be carried by only a reg nurse.

They're not examples of what you seem to be complaining about.[/quote]
Certainly, I am very pleased that you support protection of the nurse title.
You refer to the jobs (posts) mentioned by myself and the NMC, but I think that's a typo and you mean RCN (Royal College of Nursing) I should of course make it clear to anyone reading this that I have no connection to the RCN except by virtue of agreeing with their 09/06/21 press release and by past membership when employed as a Senior Nurse in the NHS.
You said the jobs (posts) were not meaningful examples as clearly these jobs (posts) were not only able to be carried out by a registered nurse. The adverts might well give that impression but what is actually happening is that some employers have started advertising posts in this way because of recruitment problems.
So, for example , a band 5 Staff Nurse required the post holder to be a Registered Nurse or hold an Allied Health professional qualification. This is not a nursing qualification.
Another, a Matron (nursing leadership role) in acute medicine open to those without a nursing qualification.
Hence the RCN's deep concern, and the press release.
https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/press-releases/nursing-workforce-crisis-leads-to-risky-recruitment-practice

Recently retired after over 40 years as a registered nurse, it's very apparent to me that there has been very little change in the vast predominance of a woman being the family member most involved in a family's contact with healthcare. Women are also the ones predominantly supporting friends, including male friends, at appointments and procedures.
As a professional, I was always keenly aware of how important that support was, not only to the patient but also to the professionals involved in their care.

All of this on top of the amount of women employed as nurses.

Protection of the nurse title is an essential component of patient safety. Whether in terms of employment or not, women are greatly involved in that safety, either by ensuring it or by the need to be confident that it is in place.
This is why I feel this is a feminist issue.

@Arbella2 I wonder what would/did happen if an ahp took up the roles advertised. Surely the trust would have had to change the job title and I can’t imagine an ahp agreeing to be titled anything other than their own role. I actually can’t imagine an ahp even responding to an advert like that.

[quote FlorenceNightshade]@Arbella2 I wonder what would/did happen if an ahp took up the roles advertised. Surely the trust would have had to change the job title and I can’t imagine an ahp agreeing to be titled anything other than their own role. I actually can’t imagine an ahp even responding to an advert like that.[/quote]
Yes, that's a very good question. I've seen one example, the Matron without nurse registration. The person had a vast amount of leadership and clinical experience in an Allied Health Profession but that in no way compensated for the lack of nurse qualification and experience necessary for the Matron role. Neither would it have worked in a reverse situation. After an extremely stressful and worrying period of other staff members of all grades trying to support this person in their role, fortunately, they very soon acknowledged it was not feasible because of the risk to patient safety and left the post. This was a professional with clinical and leadership experience of over two decades, very focused on patient care, who had been attracted to the post as a 'challenge' and seen it as an opportunity both to bring their leadership skills into another discipline and to gain further experience themselves.
I believe that the appropriate clinical qualification is always not just essential but vital and even more so at a higher grade as this is where decisions are made that can have a profound and widespread effect on the greatest number of patients. In addition staff of all grades need to be well supported in their roles by someone very experienced in that role. They must also have professional confidence in that person. Leadership does have some common elements across different disciplines , but this commonality can never replace the appropriate clinical qualification and experience.

Following the 2017 publication of Professor Leary's research into the variety of job titles in nursing in the UK, the then Chief Nursing Officer for England Professor Jane Cummings and her then deputy CMO Ruth May, now CMO for England, wrote to regional Chief Nurses throughout England.

The letter mentioned that the research had " identified a large number of staff working within NHS services who* (my bold) "are/were using titles such as 'advanced nurse' or 'specialist nurse' despite not having to be a registered nurse* (on the NMC register) and lacking any education that might be pertinent for such a title" Such education would be relevant post nurse registration qualification.
"Our preferred position is that only an RN should have the word 'nurse' in their title or in their job description"
"Our preferred position" This is as far as they could go because the title 'nurse' is not protected in UK law. Only 'registered nurse' is protected. So, the title 'nurse' can be used freely.
This is the link to the 2017 letter
https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-contents/uploads/sites/3/2017/09/Letter.pdf
which is mentioned in the Nursing Times article of 19/09/2017
https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/professional-regulation/trusts-should-check-unqualified-staff-are-not-working-as-nurses-19-09-2017/
At the very end of the article after some spacing, there is also a link to the CNO letter.
There has been no change in the situation and there will be none until the title nurse is protected by an act of parliament. Hence Professor Leary's petition. In June 2021 the Royal College of Nursing issued a press release, extremely concerned about risky recruitment practice.
https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/press-releases/nursing-workforce-crisis-leads-to-risky-recruitment-practice

Continued -separate link to letter not working but letter link at end of Nursing Times article is.

Women are the keepers of family health and the linchpin of the NHS.

"Just been sent another advert for a Deputy Chief Nurse open to those without registration qualifications of experience as a nurse.
I would not recommend working in an organisation that did not value professional knowledge (of any professional group)
It's a red flag"
Professor Alison Leary
Twitter 30/10/21

"It seems AHPs have been encouraged to apply for nursing jobs simply to get higher banding. That does not seem like a good strategy to recognise AHPs worth."
Professor Alison Leary
Twitter 30/10/21

76.7% of 1.3 million NHS staff are women.

NHS England on International Women's Day 08/03/21.

"Looking at the data scrape around 10% of nursing jobs now open to those without nursing qualifications"
Professor Alison Leary
Twitter 30/10/21

88.6% of the 342,104 nurses and health visitors working in the NHS are women.

NHS England on International Women's Day 08/03/21

Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland Charlotte McArdle
"Time and again nursing is recognised as the most trusted profession with nurse synonymous with patient safety. It's therefore important for society and for nurses themselves that the title of 'nurse' is protected "
Nursing Times 15/10/21

Chief Nursing Officer for England Ruth May
"I am supportive of protecting the nurse title "
Nursing Times 15/10/21

Nurse is the job title? What a ridiculous thread?

Maybe read the thread ?

So, for example , a band 5 Staff Nurse required the post holder to be a Registered Nurse or hold an Allied Health professional qualification. This is not a nursing qualification.
Another, a Matron (nursing leadership role) in acute medicine open to those without a nursing qualification.

@Arbella2

These are the examples I was referring to - and presumably neither are posts which require the successful candidate to perform the role of a qualified nurse for the most part.

My DH is a band 7 Nurse Team Leader - he goes nowhere near patients now and hasn't for some time - he doesn't have time for that. He does nothing on a daily basis that requires his registration, although he does renew it annually - in reality he could do his job without it.

A band 5 in a mental health post could be a nurse (as I was), an OT or a SW if the role they're performing is supportive/therapeutic/rehabilitative and not medical/pharmaceutical.

Save the 'Registered Nurse' title for those jobs that require the specific training and accountability the title brings. Lots of other individuals can 'nurse' vulnerable people.

ChocolateDeficitDisorder
Nursing Registration is not only about patient contact. It's about leading clinical teams, departments and divisions. It's about, mentoring, advising and supporting staff. It's also about strategic decision making that can affect a vast amount of patients' care.
It's this registration that keeps the system safe. The correct registration, hence knowledge and experience is vital at every level to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.