cheshirecat

Hi everyone. I have been nursing since 1981. How do other older nurses cope with the physical demands? I have arthritis and diabetes (diet controlled but a problem when we get no breaks). I work on a surgical ward, and love the patients/staff/wor...

Anyone read/heard the story about the 3rd year student nurse who gave IV pot to a patient, patient died. Seemingly, she drew up the drug with a sister, sister was called away so student gave the patient the pot undiluted IV. The mind boggles, what wa...

I also worked at Lyell McEwin Hospital about 16 years ago. I loved it. Staff very supportive. Had to leave to go back to the UK. Good luck finding accommodation.

I get paid double time up to mid band 5 so about £23 a hour. Hope this helps.

Happy New Year to everyone on allnurses. Posting early as I have got the itchiest allergic reaction rash imaginable. May change my name to Spot The Cat.:bow:

Outpatient nurses also do invasive procedures. Have you tried NHS Direct? It is not hands on nursing though. They also always seem to be advertising for staff.

Me too, blossom. Drives my husband mad.

Students should have supernumeray status if they are not being paid to work on the ward. They should have clinical teachers on the ward, and not expect staff nurses to do all the clinical training. It is getting teachers on the cheap. If students w...

In some trusts, zippy students are being used as unpaid HCA's. Managers keep costs down by rostering students on at the weekends, and giving HCA's days off. Could you manage on a bursery of £400 per month? Could you pay your rent, food, gas, electr...

I remember my first ward. It was N (Nellie 2), a female medical ward. On an early shift you would have 1 sister or 1 staff nurse, 2 enrolled nurses, 2 auxillary nurses and the rest would be student/pupil nurses. I did 6 weeks intro. Like Karen G, ...

Back in the bad old days, students were taught by students. As a first year on the wards, I would not even talk to a Staff Nurse. A third year used to take you under her wing, and show you how to do things. As you progressed through the years you ...

Have to say that the wards karen G talks about are nothing like the wards of today. When I first qualified (1985) I worked as a staff nurse on a surgical ward. Our hernia repair patients would stay in 5 days post-op, APR resections would come in for...

If you worked for the NHS in the UK, you would know that low census never exists. As soon as the bed is empty, it is cleaned and the new patient is in there. Our wards are supposed to be staffed at 85% bed occupancy, but we never have below 97-100% ...

Hope you are ok, scarymary. Thinking of you.

If I signed RN after my name, people would assume I was in the Royal Navy. Same goes if I signed RM (Registered Midwife). They would assume I was a Royal Marine!!!! Would never put RN after my name in any place except work.

Karen - have you turned into a southern softy yet? Don't you just miss chat? Bring back chat!!!!

I will let you off Karen G. But I am calling for a ban by nurses of The Mail. Like you, I much prefer The Telegraph which employs decent journalists. I don't know, journalists in my day where much better trained. They got off their bums and worked...

My phone stays in my bag. It gets taken out at lunch to check for messages, and when I have finished my shift. But Karen G - why are you buying the trashy newspaper The Mail. I am sick to death of the rubbish it prints about nurses, ie, we are all ...

We had snow in Crewe this morning. Did not stick though. Could not believe my eyes when one of my co-workers said it was snowing!! Husband has finally persuaded me to put the heating on. It was his little blue lips and fingers that persuaded me.

Have to endorse scarymary's view of the RCN. You seem to pay your dues and in return get nowt. Maybe they should spend more of our subscriptions on helping nurses and less on doing up RCN headquarters and self publicity.

Criminal records bureau check = Yes NMC check = Yes Credit check = No way. Why would a prospective employer need this information to give someone a job? It is an invasion of privacy. I have nev...

Has anyone been through a gateway for KSF? I am due to go for my assessment next week and wonder what to expect. Will have to get my folder dusted off and updated!!!!

No mystique, just safety as this case demonstrates. What planet are you on?

Have never had a KSF appraisal yet. Will it be like the old apprisals we used to get?

Our uniforms are provided by the NHS trust. Ward managers = blue spotted tunic, blue trousers, black socks, black shoes. Band 6 registered nurse = navy blue tunic, ditto ward manager. Band 5 registered nurse = hospital blue tunic (sky blue), ditto w...