Squatront

I think the problem is that the whole anti-smoking brigade have brought in changes that are too draconian. Education is fine, but aim it towards kids and not adults who already know the dangers. Nobody who reaches the age of 16 has any doubt it's not good for you and some nurse, and possibly an overweight nurse as well, telling you what you already know is both patronising and intensely annoying. Personally I have never been into the "nurse as role model" errr model. I see too many fat, unhealthy nurses; I know too many nurses who drink to excess, and as alcohol is a far worse blight on society than cigarettes, which for all the media hype is really only proven to kill those who smoke and not others (I personally have no doubt passive smoking exists, and presents dangers, I am less convinced there is solid evidence - RCT levels of evidence - that passive smoking kills in any great numbers, especially now smokers can't smoke indoors. Certainly compared to those killed indirectly by alcohol, or sugar, transfats, falling down stairs and what have you, passive smoking is not a problem. And while I'm at it, when we talk trashy and low class, just have a look at a nurses' Christmas party around midnight if you want to see these supposed role models in a different light. You certainly don't need a *** in your mouth to look trashy and low class. Perhaps nurses should be forced to become teetotal, stop eating cakes and chips, and unless they're a size 10 and can run a half-marathon be barred from the profession? Bottom line is nurses are merely a cross section of society, with all the same faults as everyone else, and long may they remain that way, it keeps us all human. If we want only nurses that are perfectly perfect in every way, which some obviously do, then I believe there's a shortage of those taking religious orders.

Work in dementia care as I have done and you'll realise there are ways to go, and ways to live, that are far, far worse. In fact I'm even tempted to start smoking if it means I can avoid such an end.

Just like being on Facebook, yet about 80% of the nurses I know seem to spend half their (very sad) lives on there. I don't smoke by the way, just I really don't think I'm ignorant enough to judge most of my patients as being trashy and low class because they smoke. Or even go on Facebook.

I love the US. You can't have a cigarette in public, but guns, they're OK

Thankyou. You've restored my faith in the profession. To all those being judgemental on here, I hope you never have a garlic meal or a curry the night before, because guess what, you stink too. I hope you never wear cheap perfume or suffer from BO or have a drink the night before and come in smellingof booze (and quite a few nurses do all these things). I hope none of you are overweight because that's means you're weak-willed and disgusting to those who aren't. In fact as nurses you should be perfect in every way. And if you do anything I don't like, then you should be banned from doing it. See, we can all be judgemental and some of the views espoused on here denigrate the profession.

Though well staff have a choice whether they come in or not, indeed the extra money can be very welcome, though personally speaking I prefer to take my days off so rarely work over my hours. More fool them who come into work on days off when they don't need the money. The problem with no paid sickness, which would reduce morale far more than paid sickness ever has, is that those who are genuinely sick suffer for it. It is a wonderful system where someone can be diagnosed with cancer one day, and then be told that on top of that, they're not going to get paid any more if they take time off.

I think we are lucky in the NHS and the "benefits" are one reason why we are prepared to accept the not so good pay over the better pay in the private sector. I was offered a job paying almost £5000 a year more in the private sector, and while it is nowhere near as draconian as the US system the fact that I wouldn't be paid if sick (or it was at your managers disgression how much and how long you would be paid) - and I'm someone who very rarely goes off sick - was one reason I turned it down.

Absolutely there are those who misuse the system, and they need weeding out. At the same time, we work with sick people; we work in environments where D&V seems to be endemic and the chances of catching "something" else are very high; where muscle tears, sprains and injured backs are par for the course; where the stresses of working on understaffed wards with at times abusive and violent patients eventually takes its toll on many workers. It's hardly surprising there are high sick levels.

Sounds like a nice job that. To be honest I'd love to do something like that. I'll look into it - and NHS Direct.

I actually part-finished a PGCE before I entered nursing, and I'm afraid I decided then that teaching wasn't for me. Thanks

Silverdragon102 I've basic IT skills but unis are churning out graduates in IT at a rate of knots and I really don't want to go back and train for years in anything - I'm approaching my fifties so time isn't on my side. A certain level of retraining is acceptable, of course, but short and sweet or on the job is what I want. Emigration I'd love, but my wife wouldn't so that's out. I do accept that whatever I do I might have to agency or bank work as well.

Sharrie I count that as being a sales job I'm afraid. I've done sales before and hated it - and I wasn't any good either.

So, I'm fed up with nursing and am seriously thinking of packing it and the NHS in, but I'm left wondering what employers which pay about the same or more than a Grade 5(E) would be looking for an ex-RMN? I most definitely don't want to go through a lengthy training period again, either, so counseling and the like are out, as is social work. And please, no sales jobs Any ideas?

Think about it for a minute. How many nurses are handing out how many meds two to three times a day, and then ask yourself how many medication errors (including those that are never discovered) are made every day. It must be thousands. And out of those thousands how many patients are seriously affected? I'm guessing next to none or we'd be reading about it every day in the papers. The important thing is you did the right thing by reporting it, and even more importantly, you will learn from it. Don't worry, and don't beat yourself up about it.

I would have thought it far more dangerous working A&E than on a mental health ward. I'm an RMN working on a psychiatric intensive care ward. Patients are, in general, no more violent than patients without mental health problems. You are certainly more likely to be attacked on an elderly ward than on a medium or even high secure mental health unit. There are dangers, but the vast majority or mental health patients do not want to hurt you, and indeed are more likely to hurt themselves. As with adult nursing the kind of people you treat varies wildly from violent, aggressive, unlikeable, frustrating, tragic, friendly, likeable, loveable and wonderful. As for cloggs' experience: while there are undoubtedly RMNs who treat their patients with a lack of respect, there are also RGNs who act the same. This is not a branch specific problem, but a nursing specific problem, and if people were put off adult nursing because of reports of abuse or neglect on adult wards, then there would be no nurses. The vast majority of RMNs I've met treat their patients with the utmost respect. Speaking generically, the life of an RMN can be hectic, it can be a grind, it can be boring, it can be exciting, it can be very rewarding, it can be very frustrating. Patients usually have their own rooms, but most of the day they will be up and about either taking part in organised activities, engaging with other patients or staff, or doing their own thing. As a nurse you will spend time one to one with patients, ward rounds, tribunals, updating and refining care plans and risk assessments, reassuring anxious patients, dispensing medication, perhaps taking patients off ward either around the unit or into the community. Lots of time will be spent simply talking with patients, trying to cultivate some level of therapeutic relationship. Generally speaking you can work on acute wards, forensic units (low, medium and possibly high secure), prisons, rehabilitation units, substance misuse, elderly or within the community so your choice is fairly wide.