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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

New career in the NHS.....am I crazy?

36 replies

fatcatonamat · 11/02/2021 16:57

Afternoon,
This is possibly more suited to AIBU but given that it concerns the whole Trans issue (specifically TW) and its impact on women I thought best to post here. I've recently applied to go to Uni in September to study adult nursing....2 interviews next week so not definite yet. I'm no spring chicken, nearly 46 and this has been a life long ambition. But the more I learn about how the NHS appears to have been captured by the whole trans ideology the more I'm worried and wondering what the fuck I'm letting myself in for. I was reading Greater Glasgow & Clyde's policy with regards to trans men on women's wards and am horrified as my reaction to this would most likely cost me my job (assuming I got in!)
Any nurses or health professionals here who believe in basic bloody biology? How do you navigate this landmine at work? I worry I'm making a mistake even considering nursing as a career now.

TIA

OP posts:
Schmoozer · 11/02/2021 16:59

Yes
You have to be seen and heard to stick to the party line ....

Original poster
fatcatonamat · 11/02/2021 16:59

Sorry....I referred to transmen above but meant transwomen.

OP posts:
Melodiouschimes · 11/02/2021 17:00

Yes. Common sense often prevails at least on the 'shop floor'

InTheFamilyTree · 11/02/2021 17:01

You might be more influential from the inside...

Schmoozer · 11/02/2021 17:05

But as a registered nurse you can’t challenge something that is a protected status and expect to
Maintain your registration

Original poster
fatcatonamat · 11/02/2021 17:06

I'm actually really upset now, feel completely demoralised trying to prepare for the interviews.

OP posts:
Original poster
fatcatonamat · 11/02/2021 17:08

Yes, I know that I couldn't openly challenge it

OP posts:
choosername1234 · 11/02/2021 17:09

I've been a nurse for 18 years and have encountered this as an issue just once. In reality it's not such a big an issue

bigcheesematrix · 11/02/2021 21:29

I'm not a nurse but another registered health professional working in the NHS in community healthcare. I have never some across anything at work with regards to gender ideology, HR information held about staff including gender identity, being asked to use pronouns or anything. In fact the only thing I've seen is information shared about the Keira Bell vs. Tavistock court ruling in relation to children's safeguarding and the suggestion that people should consider the 'wait and see' approach rather then the affirmative approach with children displaying signs of gender dysphoria.

rosesh · 11/02/2021 21:31

I've been a nurse 7 years and have seen this once. Are you going to base your whole career on this issue?

Cheesypea · 11/02/2021 21:37

I dont think it's a day to day issue in most settings to be honest.

StopTouchingYourFairyGarden · 11/02/2021 21:41

I think you should go for it. This is a hot topic right now and very much on the radar of the frequenters of the FWR board. It's an incredibly important issue and one where I am happy to be involved in the movement to protect and preserve the rights of women and children.

That said, you cannot let this one issue determine YOUR life and life choices about something as important as becoming a nurse. Even if it crops up at work, it will be managed and dealt with by others (including management) and you can cross that bridge if and when you get to it. Sometimes we do have to deal with things at work we don't necessarily want to or agree with, but we deal with them, seek help, escalate it.

Health Board oolicies are policies, they'll be updated in a year or two, but nursing on the floor is varied and busy and rewarding and filled with a million difficult issues daily. At the end of the day providing quality healthcare is the ultimate goal of you and your colleagues and social issues such as these will wax and wane over the years, your team will deal with them when they crop up and then you'll move on to the next thing.

I do understand your concerns, it can feel overwhelming and hopeless at times, but it's not.

StopTouchingYourFairyGarden · 11/02/2021 21:42

I dont think it's a day to day issue in most settings to be honest

Yeah this is what I was trying to say in my essay Grin

Wilsonwilson · 11/02/2021 21:44

I wouldn't let it put you off. It's hardly likely to be an issue. The wards I worked on were mixed sex anyway (no idea if it's changed). Male and female bays and several side rooms. You could choose many areas of nursing where it's unlikely to ever be an issue.

DamnShesaSexyChick · 11/02/2021 21:45

I’m a nurse and the only time it has happened in my experience we put them in a side room.

Iliketeaagain · 11/02/2021 21:51

I've been an RN for 15 years and never encountered this as an issue.

There is of course the policies and procedures and collection of "gender identity", and maybe your more likely to come across it in some areas than others.

There are a few members of staff who have put pronouns on their email signatures, but I notice that more because the majority don't, nor have we been asked to.

More than anything, although I am definitely gender critical, I'm careful what I post / retweet / like on Twitter as it's public (we are encouraged by the trust to use Twitter) so that I don't get dragged to HR by someone complaining about thinking wrong.

Nursing is mainly a great career - lots of possibilities, lots of different areas to work, if you don't like one speciality it's pretty easy to change to another. And let's face it, despite the endless cycle of change in the NHS, it's a pretty secure career choice.

Original poster
fatcatonamat · 12/02/2021 07:02

@rosesh

I've been a nurse 7 years and have seen this once. Are you going to base your whole career on this issue?
No, but the more I read the more it seemed to be pretty commonplace within the NHS. Suppose you find what you look for though.

I can say though, with 100% honesty, that another person's beliefs would have no bearing on how I treated them. My previous role involved working with folk who were often vulnerable and distressed....and not always particularly agreeable people. But I was always able to put that to the side.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm feeling a wee bit more reassured now.

OP posts:
SapphosRock · 12/02/2021 11:18

I can say though, with 100% honesty, that another person's beliefs would have no bearing on how I treated them.

That's lucky as it should be the bare minimum requirement of a nurse!

LetsSplashMummy · 12/02/2021 12:45

I don't think you should focus on this and let it put you off.

The wards at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital are all single rooms anyway, so the problems you are imagining with regards modesty and privacy are not as bad as they would be on a ward with shared beds.

I also have a friend who is a consultant in a hospital where a TW is a regular patient. They always put them in a private room.

Original poster
fatcatonamat · 12/02/2021 13:20

@SapphosRock

I can say though, with 100% honesty, that another person's beliefs would have no bearing on how I treated them.

That's lucky as it should be the bare minimum requirement of a nurse!

I know. That's why I said it ( realising I was stating the obvious ) incase there was any doubt given my personal views on the subject.
OP posts:
Merename · 12/02/2021 15:30

How exciting for you to go for a new career. I’m
Glad other nurses here have been able to reassure you. I work in a public facing role where I am afraid to air my views, but I feel a huge responsibility also not to just collude. I am just gradually educating myself and waiting for an appropriate opportunity to challenge some of the groupthink, and I think there are probably many of us in the same boat in these roles.

Original poster
fatcatonamat · 12/02/2021 16:00

@Merename

How exciting for you to go for a new career. I’m Glad other nurses here have been able to reassure you. I work in a public facing role where I am afraid to air my views, but I feel a huge responsibility also not to just collude. I am just gradually educating myself and waiting for an appropriate opportunity to challenge some of the groupthink, and I think there are probably many of us in the same boat in these roles.
Thank you....still need to get through the interviews though Grin
OP posts:
PurpleWh1teGreen · 12/02/2021 16:04

I'm a nurse and in 30+ years I've come across nearly as many staff as patients under the umbrella.

What I would say is that although The numbers maybe small, I have however encountered some incredibly vulnerable individuals who genuinely believed that "just one more procedure" would make them happy. These are people who have usually led difficult lives, would benefit from psychological care and deserve to be treated with same dignity and respect as any other patient.

I vehemently disagree with the pathways these vulnerable people have been funnelled down, but as individuals needing care I will always do my best.

As PP have mentioned, in practice, care happens in a sideward. I have far more issues with transgender staff caring for patients who request same sex nurses.

Skyliner001 · 12/02/2021 18:07

I don't understand your first post, you state that you would be angry about a trans-man being on a woman's ward, and then you go on to state that sex matters, i.e. biology. A trans-man was born biologically woman, so it doesn't make any sense.

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 12/02/2021 18:23

@Skyliner001

I don't understand your first post, you state that you would be angry about a trans-man being on a woman's ward, and then you go on to state that sex matters, i.e. biology. A trans-man was born biologically woman, so it doesn't make any sense.
You missed the post further down where the OP corrected herself.