DavidFR

Sooo agree that nursing does not need to be a passion or encompass your whole life. Such nurses are often "too much" and not as good at the job as those who have a good work/home/social life balance, which I've always thought was precious. Good luck as you continue. So good to see somebody coming back and updating us.

Not a Pope fan either and certainly not a fan of the Catholic church, but I agree entirely. JD Vance overlooks the fact that the Vatican City is a sovereign state. Hence the Pope is a head of state as well as being a religious leader. I often don't like it when Popes pronounce either, however as a head of state, it's perfectly appropriate that the Pope makes political statements. That Vance evidently doesn't understand that is atrocious in a vice-president. However, given that it's Vance, it doesn't shock me that he doesn't get it.

I think you are a little harsh on the OP. I'm not black but I don't lecture black people on racism because I've never walked in their shoes. If you're not black, you shouldn't either. I do have black colleagues who have had the repeated experience of walking into a room and being asked "Are you the care assistant?" Automatic assumption of the lowest grade in seeing a black skin. I've had that myself for my foreign accent - not a chip on my shoulder but genuine xenophobia. Doesn't happen often to me in France but it does sometimes happen. I gather from your screen name you're possibly Welsh? I grew up in England and I know all the stereotypes about Welsh people. I've also had enough Welsh friends to know those sterotypes are not true. If such stereotyping annoys you as a Welsh person (if you are Welsh), you have every right to be aggrieved because that is xenophobia. As a gay man nobody will lecture me on homophobia. I've heard the "chip on your shoulder" rubbish before but unless you've walked in my shoes and lived with homophobia, you have no idea. Like neither you nor I have any idea of the OP's experiences as a black woman.

As an ex English teacher I agree with this. No need to capitalise (sorry, I'll use the British spelling), at every use of the word marine.

Well I gave him an up vote for that post, so you should be able to work it out.

I'll refer you to the International section/UK nursing where Grumpy and myself have disagreed on the issue of taking your breaks within the confines of the floor/unit environment where you're working. Yes we had a differing point of view! We argued our differences with respect and maturity. Try it.

Yes, Tweety gave a very intelligent and thoughtful response. Something we've yet to see forthcoming from yourself.

Just lost a response due to inactivity and automatic log out, so if this appears as a doublon, apologies. I take your point that name calling is neither mature nor intellectual. I would normally refrain, however through sheer frustration, your current administration leads me to falter. Trump is the president who called a journalist "Piggy" and Vance is the vice president who viciously attacked Zelenskyy not for his words, not for his position, but because the knackered leader of a war torn country wasn't wearing a suit. I have no respect for Trump or Vance but yes, your point is valid. I propose the Alaska secnario not because I think it's remotely likely, but as a hypothetical situation to demonstrate that no sovereign nation should just say "Oh alright then" to an illegal invasion. Giving up US territory to an aggressor would be unacceptable to Trump; why should Zelenskyy be expected to accept different standards? No sovereign state should be hacked in two because an aggressor invades illegally and says "I want this." Appeasing dictators never works. We didn't act over Crimea - Putin wanted more. Give him the Donbass and he'll want the rest of Ukraine. Give him Ukraine and he'll want the Baltics. We tried to appease Hitler in the 30's. That didn't end well did it? Russia and Ukraine have complex intertwined histories but they did evolve as seperate peoples with their own language and culture. Russia has had designs on Ukraine since forever. My Ukrainian father fled for his life at the age of 19 at the outbreak of WW2. Like many others he was cut off from his homeland and his family for 49 years due to Russian/Soviet occupation. The joy of independence and the freedom to go home was undescribable. Now Russia once again has its claws into a sovereign, free, independent Ukraine. I cannot tell you the anger I felt seeing Zelenskyy insulted and humiliated by Trump and Vance, only to be followed by the murdering dictator Putin receiving the red carpet treatment in Alaska. Perhaps that's why in this case I resort to name calling. Indeed. I don't believe Trump makes plans. He flip flops from one day to the next. I sincerely believe he makes it up as he goes along. It amazes me the way he works, seemingly surrounded by yes men. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think we see the checks and balances which seem to be taken for granted in other western democracies. You flatter him and you're a great guy. A week later and you're weak, or stupid, or you've "disappointed" him. I too have trouble processing Israel and the middle east situation. Of course I want to see democracy in Iran, and a peaceful 2 state solution for Israel and Palestine. I don't think Trump and Netanyahu are the guys who are going to get us there.

Do tell us what you find amusing, rather than yet again, coming back with a glib one-liner.

Lower tariffs. But as I said, the effect doesn't last long. Baby Trump gets upset and his toys fly out of the cot again. Dare I suggest Netanhayu has manipulated Trump into this war on Iran? Who knows what the deal is? Favourable property developing rights on the envisaged luxury resort of Mar-a-Gaza? Once the Gazans themselves have been evicted? And who knows what gets said between Trump and Putin? How come the so called leader of the free world can publicly insult and humiliate a president who's country has been illegally invaded, yet is manipulated into giving a murdering dictator the red carpet treatment in Alaska? Why doesn't Trump put the effort he's putting into bombing Iran into helping defend Ukraine? That's what a president who really cared about freedom and democracy would be doing. Imagine Russia came the other way and decided they wanted Alaska back on the grounds it was Russian once. Alaska is under Russian control and the rest of the world says "You know Donald, you're just going to have to concede some territory in order to have peace. Let Putin keep Alaska." Would that be acceptable to him? And if JD Dunce and others are going to get upset about Zelenskyy not wearing a suit (visiting the tailor would hardly be Zelenskyy's priority at the moment) maybe baby Donald should set the example by abandoning those stupid caps he wears.

Oh come on, are you asleep? We see leader after leader sitting with Trump in front of all that garish cheap gold cringing and trying to be as diplomatic as possible so as not to make the baby scream. Prime example was Keir Starmer soft soaping him with a second state visit to the UK. Do you think many British people actually wanted that? Let alone the King! Or Starmer himself and the members of his government. It worked for a little while then the effect wore off and I wish world leaders would see he is too unpredictable for it to ever work long term. He is a bully and needs to be stood up to. Pedro Sanchez is one of the rare world leaders I have any respect for at the moment. Y viva España.

I had a 2 year break. I did a TEFL course and taught English as a Foreign Language in a language school. I was re-locating to Paris so it was good way of working in English until my French was up to scratch. It was great fun put the pay was abysmal. Try anything you fancy but maintain your licence. Keep you hand in with the occasional agency shift. I didn't think I'd come back to full time nursing but doing so after a 2 year break was the perfect cure for burn out. I came back loving it and 22 years later, have thoroughly enjoyed this "second" nursing career.

https://patientinfolibrary.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/how-flush-nephrostomy-tube This is exactly how we do it where I work, but Davy is right, check your local policy.

I stand corrected on Hindu objection, or at least the extent of it, you having prompted me to look it up. I have heard of Hindu objection from Gujarati friends in London, but you're right, this wasn't the reason for the ban.

I live in the Paris region and was here for the Chralie Hebdo attack. A journalist friend of mine once worked with Cabou, who was killed in the attack. I went on the soldarity march and I think it's important to emphasise that there were many muslims there saying "not in our name" as well as Imams condemning the violence. Interesting you mention Salman Rushdie. I have read "The Satanic Verses" and it is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. It was originally banned in India as extremist Hindus were "offended" too. Frankly it's one of these occasions where you can be offended if you want to be. It's an excellent piece of literature. I read much of it on duty on quiet nights in the presence of a muslim colleague from Mali. She wasn't offended that I was reading it, indeed, she had a healthy intellectual interest to know more about it.