DavidFR

Retired 3 months ago at age 62 years and 9 months - the youngest I could legally retire and have a livable, if not full pension. My pension is pro-rata since I arrived in France in my mid 30s, but with supplementary bits I've contributed to it's livable. I already get a health service pension from the UK where I started off, and I continued voluntary contributions to the UK state system so will get that as an extra at age 67. I qualified at age 23 and have always nursed apart from a 2 year break where I did a TEFL course and taught English in a language school. Having had a rich, varied career in 2 countries I don't regret nursing, but it was time to go and I don't miss it. At this age it isn't how many years have I got left, it's how many GOOD years have I got left. Age and health take their toll. You have to enjoy life while you're still mobile and continent. As we say in France: profites-en (make the most of it).

Great thread. Recently retired (end June). Loving it. What do I miss? The salary. Nothing else. Money isn't everything and I'm adjusting to a reduced income. Not the first time I've accepted a cut. After 17 years of nights I'm enjoying sleeping at night and eating meals at regular times. Time to read a paper every day, books, cinema, exhibitions, meeting friends for lunch. Plans for language courses and walking group. How did I ever have time to go to work?

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=od_S8t86F0M "On The Sea" is a very moving Welsh film. Classic middle aged family man coming out story - nothing original but very sensitively done. The drudgery of living in a small isolated town is very well portrayed, as are the expectations of "family" and "community." Filmed on the beautifully bleak island of Anglesey, the cinematography is stunning. Worth seeing.

Interesting how this varies. When I trained in the UK in the 80s students didn't go near IVs. You had to be qualified and each hospital had its in-house IV certificate which you did shortly after starting. The pain was each time you changed jobs you had to do the new hospital's certificate. This also meant agency nurses didn't do IVs which was an extra workload on the permanent staff. By the time I left in 2001 this had changed and some hospitals even let agency nurses give IVs. Unsure of the current situation. Here in France IV skills are an integral part of the training. Especially from the start of year 3 (French IDE or RN training is 3 years 6 months) students practise on real patients - under strict supervision of course. Hence most new grads are already competent in IV skills. It's just assumed that an IDE (RN) can give IVs, site IVs etc. We don't have a second level nurse here so no LVN equivalent.

Are IV skills not a part of your general RN training in the US?

Your post is an insult to the Ukrainian people and proof you do not believe in democracy. I'm beginning to doubt you are who say you are. Not sure you are really in Florida or that you are even a nurse. I would suspect you of being a Russian troll, however I'm assuming the mods have checked out your IP number. (?) Your content section in your profile shows that you never post in actual nursing threads, apart from the school nurse/trans debate where your sole purpose for posting was not to offer any clinical insight or intellectual debate but to simply bash the LGBTQ+ community and tell lies about how STIs are spread (rather like your claim that simply being gay makes me "high risk" for HIV.) Somebody in that thread wisely suggested not interacting with you since you only post not to debate but to push prejudices. I should have taken that good advice then. However I'm taking it now since "debating" with you is a sheer waste of time. So I'll say goodbye to you. Do feel free to come back and have the last word. You know it'll kill you not to.

That means none. Perfectly relevant since you have constantly criticised communism and socialism and confused the two. You accuse countless non-comunists of being communists because you don't know what communism is. Lepage. I would say Onfray and Bonnardel though I'm not sure with your rigid world view you'd accept left leaning libertarians as libertarians.

Kindly answer the question you have been avoiding for over a month: Which contemporary communist theorists have you actually read?

Try Andrew Wilson "Ukraine's Orange Revolution" for starters. A far more reliable source than your beloved despot Vladimir Putin. You think Putin was democratically elected, with rigged polls, no independent media and opposition figures in prison or murdered?

Absolute proof you do not know what communism is.

I am half Ukrainian and have family there living the reality. Your assertion is an insult to a people who spent years under the occupation of the Soviet Union and now after a brief period of independence once again face Russian aggression. Educate yourself. Read a few books. Rely on news sources other than Fox News and social media - and your vivid imagnation. Now please would you answer the question above about communism which you have conveniently avoided for over a month, while continuing to make wild claims about "socialism" and "communism" which you have no understanding of.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Christmas Almodovar fans, the latest is a cracker! "Amarga Navidad" (I saw it in French as "Autofiction" - why do they change the titles? "Bitter Christmas" in English, a far more accurate translation). Evidently semi-autobiographical. The story of a scriptwriter creating a screenplay inspired by real events going on around him. I read an interview with Almodovar in the French press where he described this as his most risky film to date. No twists or big shocks but I get it that the "story telling a story" concept risks not working in cinematic terms, however it does work. Like all Almodovar films, complex and requires thought and concentration. Take a Xanax before you go in!!

You do know his country's been illegally invaded and he's fighting a war against an aggressive hostile neighbour? Do you not think that's his priority? He has repeatedly said there will be elections once the war is over. No reason to disbelieve him. Also no reason to believe he won't accept the results, unlike Trump who has falsely claimed election fraud once and will very possibly try it again.

Such a pathetic assertion it is laughable. You keep referring to communism but you don't appear to know what it is. When challenged previously you ran away from the discussion and stayed silent for a month. However some of us have the memory of an elephant, so I'll ask you again. Which contemporary communist theorists have you actually read?

Thank you so much Tweety. I love Ian McKellen and this film would have passed me by had I not seen your post. Having left the UK many years ago British films sometimes pass me by. Saw this yesterday at your recommendation and absolutely loved it. BRILLIANT!

The question is a little strange. Are you asking what our motivations were? 1) Perfect my skills in a foreign language. 2) Experience a foreign culture. 3) Excitement of the unknown. I didn't consider the economics as I knew I had a valuable qualification which would always get me work. Scope of practice also didn't come into it. I could earn money nursing, I was prepared to do what it takes. Moving abroad was for personal enrichment, not my career. In my mid 30s, I'd already had my "career." A nursing qualification was useful, it wasn't my life. That I ended up enjoying what I did professionally in my new country was a bonus, but I'd have put up with it to stay here a while. I had the attitude "if it's horrible, I can ultimately just go home." 25 years on I'm still here. It worked out largely because I think I was practical, flexible and didn't theorise about it too much. Really, Harriet (above) needs to get out more. Please can we not have AI? Human reflection and feeling is far superior.

Avoid cheap plastic nursing type croc style footwear. These weren't acceptable when I worked in the UK - I believe they are now. Back in the day we had to wear proper, standard, formal shoes totally enclosed and made of leather or a suitable alternative. You put overshoes on for sensitive areas (isolation etc.) Only the OR wore "clogs" Since arriving in France the plastic "clogs" were commonplace so I wore them for 25 years. Now I have a spur with associated tendonitis and my doctor, physiotherapist and podiatrist all claim it's from plastic nursing "clog" type footwear. Proper shoes, or genuine Scandinavian or Dutch wooden clogs which give your feet proper support. Plastic clogs and crocs in the bin.

In many democracies there is the possibility for an elected member of government to propose a vote of no confidence. If a majority of elected representatives votes in favour, then the sitting prime minister/president/whoever head of government is democratically removed, very often provoking a general election. This possibility exists in most European countries. It does require however, elected representatives with integrity and guts, who will put the interests of the country above their own political careers. Sadly for you guys, even if this possibility exists in the US, Trump's track record of accepting he is no longer the president is not great.

I didn't claim that Trump invented the anti-vax movement. Anti-vaxers were already active, however I don't think Trump and his administration are being helpful in preventing misery and death from preventable infectious diseases. I haven't lived in England for over 25 years so am unfamiliar with the current requirements. Try asking a current resident of England. In France there are now 13 obligatory vaccinations, updated from 11 last year, so the standard 11 plus Meningococcal B and and new combined Meningococcal A, C, W and Y. Every French citizen has a "carnet de vaccination" which documents your vaccination record. A French head teacher will refuse your child's admission to school without an up to date carnet de vaccination. Since education is compulsory in France from nursey education at age 3 to high school ending at 18, the only way to avoid vaccinating your child is to home school. Very few French parents choose this route. Most French citizens accept these rules as a valid public health measure. The sense of "communité" and "solidarité" is very strong here - years of socialist government under Mitterrand instilled a very healthy 'for the common good" attitude which despite successive governments of all colours, has largely prevailed. I like that. Hope all goes well with your shingles vaccine.

But totally relevant to parents who can't afford vaccines. As somebody who as an adult had both measles and chicken pox (followed years later by an attack of shingles), and all three were nasty, and who worked for years in Infectious Diseases and saw some absolutely horrific preventable scenarios, I can't understand any government that would not actively encourage the most comprehensive vaccine programme possible. If I were an American parent, I think I'd trust the advice of the CDC before I trusted the word of Trump. I remember the US once being held up as a shining example for having basically eradicated measles. And you've lost that status. Not just sad, but tragic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maspalomas_(film) I saw Maspalomas yesterday and was totally mindblown. Released last year in Spain but only just out in France. Hopefully it's out in the anglophone world too. Lead actor José Ramon Soroiz won a best actor Goya for his performance. The film is actually mostly in Basque with some Spanish. Sub-titled films have never bothered me. It tackles what is a very current issue in France at the moment. The first generation of totally out and proud gays are now at the age where they may go into age care. After years of being "out" and relatively free, some are facing isolation and discrimination again and for the first time in years crawling back into the closet. The film also deals very sensitively with the issue of sexuality in old age, the fact that desire doesn't necessarily die just because you're old and how do you handle that? Highly recommend this film to anybody with an interest in age care and/or sexuality issues. Warning if you're easily offended: does contain explicit sex scenes.

My ten centimes worth for what it's worth, though simply repeating what I've said a million times elsewhere on this forum. When the WHO used to publish league tables for health outcomes, two socialised heath care systems always alternated for first place : France and Sweden. The US was always way down the list. They also demonstrated that the US spent MORE on healthcare for poorer outcomes. Personal experience : grew up with and trained and worked in the British NHS. Since 2001 worked in and been been treated by the French Sécurité Sociale. Always received excellent health care, including in France for serious/critical health events - with fortunately excellent outcomes. Never had to worry about the bill. Don't resent my reasonable taxes paying for good health care. My husband was treated in an ER in Montenegro - didn't pay a penny and was very well treated, in a country with what was at the time a communistic health service in the former Yugoslavia. Private health insurers are only interested in profit, whereas the job of an elected government is to try to improve the life of the people. Private systems start off with the wrong objective hence in my view are doomed from the start to promote inequality. Health services should be kept in public hands for the common good.

When I worked in the UK (up until 2001) it was Orem. I remember a lot of paperwork and time wasted writing useless care plans that nobody ever looked at. It all felt very infantilising, writing obvious statements, and despite the pretence, not very academic. Since 2001 I've worked in France where we don't bother theorising. We just get on with it. I feel our professional judgement is more respected here, and it's less time on documentation and more time spent with the patients.

Agree. In a past life I was a CNS for which I needed a masters. I was still in patient contact 100% giving "care" - my patients just weren't in bed. I think these things are more dictated by the jobs market than by the levels of education. I've seen excellent research done at inpatient level by nurses doing their masters, doctorates etc. Such nurses don't necessarily leave the bedside. When I trained (early 1980s), jobs were few and far between, there was nurse unemployment and people stayed in bedside jobs for years because of insecurity. Fast forward just 15 years and there were jobs galore, shortages, agency nurses, bank nurses, and it was possible to change jobs very easily. Promotion came easier. People were in Charge Nurse rôles after just a few years qualified - unheard of previously, and thus went off into specialist rôles much earlier. Previously they might have waited longer or never done so at all. We also have to get out of this one size fits all mentality that you're somehow not evolving if you don't "progress" to a specialist rôle. You can evolve in bedside rôles. I went from a specialist rôle back to the bedside - and considered that an evolution, not a backward step.

You don't seem to understand that communist theory has evolved since Marx wrote his Communist Manifesto, nor that any socialist ideas are not automatically communist. Can you tell me which contemporary communist theorists you have actually read to form your very rigid ideas? Laguiller? Besançon? Or has it all come from Fox News?