Bammy

Thank you for your advice. You have really just confirmed what I knew I had to do already..I can't let it continue or if I'm fired for speaking out, at least my conscience will be clear and I know I've acted as best I can. Vito Andolini, I'm a little unsure why you seem to be implying that I'm lying. What would I gain from that? Witnessing shoddy hygiene standards on two 11 hr shifts is not unusual when she is doing it with each change of pad. How can I be sure they HAVE survived her shoddy practices? It's a continuing care unit with palliative patients on there, many with compromised immune systems. Thanks again guys, wish me luck!

Hi all, just looking for a little advice really. I'm a new grad working night shift in a nursing home in the UK. I have done 2 night shifts so far and to be honest I'm less than impressed with the level of care I have seen. I have a real issue with the nursing assistant that seems to always be on my unit. She is much older than I am and has made it clear that she thinks she controls the unit. I have been told by her how she is 'always in matrons office in the morning, reporting people.' She has told me how she has 'got rid' of several staff members because of their poor levels of care and she constantly insults other staff members to me which makes me concerned what she is saying about me. I do my best to do everything correctly and my patient's wellbeing is paramount so I'm confident she can have no valid reason for reporting me but I really feel that I am being dominated by her on a shift. My main concerns are her lack of adherence to infection control. She refuses to wear gloves to perform personal care, claiming her skin condition (she has psoriasis) means she can't..I have seen her literally put her hand in faeces and then touch the patients face. I tried to put across that she MUST wear gloves but she refused to listen. She had a coughing fit into a patients towel and then used it to dry them...I have yet to see her wash her hands. She doesn't wear a uniform overnight, just a skimpy vest and hands full of rings which she takes off before the day staff come in... She does turn the patients regularly and is always changing pads but her practice just isn't good enough in my opinion. I found a wet pad on someones table! I feel I need to report her but worry that nobody else has yet..I'm also worried about reporting her to a matron who obviously uses her as a 'spy' on other staff, apparently promising her a senior assistant position for her hard work.. A difficult situation and I'm unsure of what to do... We had a staff meeting last night and the matron was not happy to hear any issues people had even though she had asked for them. I told her that I thought there was a need for clinical waste bins in each room as dragging a bag around the corridors for each change isn't good enough and involves leaving your patient to dispose of the waste mid change. This wasn't well received... How do you report poor levels of care about a staff member who seems to be in the pocket of the management? I feel other nurses have turned a blind eye because of the relationship with the matron but I can't do it..the patients wellbeing is at risk. Help!

Hi, we still live together! it was great, in the first yr the uni of leeds put 50 of us all in one block together, it was brilliant...very noisy tho!! to this day i live with 6 other nursing students in our own house..rented of course! we have alot of fun, just back from the pub in fact...i dont want it to end!!

Be honest AND positive, there are always ways to put a good spin on things. If you are personable and tell them that you left for concerns for patient care being reduced due to not being able to hear through the stethoscope they may well admire your honest and integrity. good luck

a nurse pushed a patients call button to get me to come and help her off the commode..on my own! the nurse who was there chatting just walked off when i arrived!! rude! Another was a patient ringing wanting a cup of tea every 10 minutes throughout a very busy day shift agh! lol

hey all, dunno if this will help but i use the equation - what you have want divided by what you have got x what it is in.

Laptops are good if you're going to be moving around alot and need to travel with it, theyre also a great space saver..however if ANYTHING goes wrong it will cost a fortune to fix whereas PC's can be replaced in parts eg keyboards. I stood on my laptop once (dont ask) the screen smashed and it was more expensive to fix than buy a new computer!

Those tips are really helpful , cheers!

Over here the main problem is the lack of funding to fill the jobs, the NHS has put freezes on the jobs so while working for a pittance the current nurses have loads of work! At the same time the consultants are on well over a hundred thousand..its terrible really!

Perhaps she could talk to someone about having a little extra training or putting aside the assignments for a while?

Hi all, I've found the same thing when it comes to being a degree student. We are totally outnumbered and get a much smaller bursary, im on 50 quid a week. It's not so bad as we get a 2000 quid loan a yr as well, but its not enough and doesnt seem fair that we have to pay that back when the diploma nurses get all of their money for free!! I have a lot of friends on the diploma programme and there isnt much problem there but i have been asked why im doing a degree by some qualified nurses and one even asked me if i thought i was better than the diploma students!! I just told her i've got a levels and so thought i might as well use them! it's not on tho, many just assume you're doing diploma then when they ask about assignments and modules they get a shock when you mention your dissertation. I think its mostly a lack of awareness. Hel x