Standards of Nursing in UK as seen by an Aussie RN

[bulletproofbarb]

I'm currently working in UK and I hate to say it, but the standards of nursing in UK are shocking. It's not just me who thinks this, I have heard if from other Australian nurses. In fact, many are very happy when they get handover of their patients from an Australian nurse! One Australian nurse said to me, "I'm so glad I am taking over from a fellow Aussie, at least I know things have been done properly." Okey, maybe it was a bit presumtious of her, because she hadn't actually had the handover yet, but in general, I feel the same way.

Things like observations don't get done, fluid and food charts not filled in. How can a patient be monitored correctly without these basics. Hygiene standards are poor and I spend the first 15 minutes of my shift cleaning up the room, dead toast from the day before stuck on floor, dirty tissues everywhere, flowers long past there use by date in stinky water. 10 bottles of talcum powder in a room of 6 people, of which 3 need it.

However, I would like to point out I am not blaming the nurses, but the whole system. I think some of the health care assistants are the problem as to why these things don't get done in alot of instances. I prefer to do my own charts ect rather than having to check them every few hours to make sure it is done.

I recently looked after a guy who was in a neck collar and it had not been taken off and cleaned underneath for over a week. It was disgusting, bits of food, hairs growing into the padding, stank of sweat ect. His response: " why does it take a nurse all the way from the other side of the world to finally fix this smelly collar"

I think us Aussie nurses are more particular because we are responsible for everything and don't rely on health care assistants and we act on incident reports relating to poor care/missed medication ect. Certainly, the last place I worked in Australai, they were very conscious of basic care, chart filling in ect, and the Clinical Nurse would audit work out of the blue. No warning, she would just go around the whole ward and check the standards, yet I never see the sisters in UK doing that.

Some of the hospitals are worse than others in UK and I worked in one hospital where the nurses bought there own thermometers and the hospital supplied the covers!!!!! WTF!!!

Interestingly, I have noticed many holiday makers who are admitted to hospital from America, Australia ect who land in the NHS make it a priority to get back home and have treatment at home rather than the NHS. I feel the same way.

Okey, now I know this is going to offend a few people but this is how I have seen it so far. I have been here working full time for 5 months now and am yet to start a shift without following up things like charts, medication ect from the previous shift.

[Noahm]

Sorry but I am an American working as a nurse in the UK and I have never seen what you are describing. If our ward was that filthy someone would hang for sure. My hospital is an older one, and some of the facilities are less than desirable, but it is clean and the fluid balance charts and obs are always up to date. We are short staffed (like everywhere else on the planet) but we bust our butts nurses and HCA's alike. I can't say that I have seen more medication errors here than anywhere else. Where do you work? I want to make sure to avoid that place like the plague. The NHS is money starved, and it has its problems but it sounds to me like your facility in particular is just a really bad apple.

[bulletproofbarb]

I work agency, so i am not speaking of one particular hospital which makes it even worse. If it was just one hospital, then I wouldn't work there, but it is all around.

[fergus51]

OK, putting on my flame retardant suit.....

I have heard the same thing about Australian nurses (specifically about unsafe nurses from a friend who worked in Melbourne and Adelaide). I have heard it about American nurses. I have heard it about Canadian nurses, Philippino nurses, Jamaican nurses and Indian nurses. Everyone seems to think everybody else sucks. I think it's a matter of "where I used to work" syndrome more than anything else. It's impossible to accurately report on the state of nursing in a country when you've been there 5 months. There are nice and crappy hospitals and nurses in every country.

[Grace Oz]

I concur with Fergus here Barb. Also, it's not only outside Oz that nurses have to buy their own thermometer! I had to buy my own here in South Australia during a stint in a local public hospital. Mind you, that hospital was managed by a private company after having being sold down the gurgler by our erstwhile state government!

Hope you soon score work in "nicer" facilities, and be sure to make the most of your time O/S! Remember to have FUN! And..... come home safely.

Cheers,

Grace

[uk_nurse]

i agree with fergus51 too.But i ask you one question which will probably annoy you but here goes. If you think UK nursing is so bad why do you stay here or even nurse in UK. i'm sure i would not stay in a country or nurse in it, if it was as bad as you say. sorry if question annoys you but as fergus51 said it not just here in Uk but everywhere. NHS here is not good due to lack of funding as you do not have to have medical insurance here like most countries and staff as like everywhere are short staffed.

[bulletproofbarb]

i agree with fergus51 too.But i ask you one question which will probably annoy you but here goes. If you think UK nursing is so bad why do you stay here or even nurse in UK. i'm sure i would not stay in a country or nurse in it, if it was as bad as you say. sorry if question annoys you but as fergus51 said it not just here in Uk but everywhere. NHS here is not good due to lack of funding as you do not have to have medical insurance here like most countries and staff as like everywhere are short staffed.

Your question doesn't offend me at all. It's a fair one considering my views I posted. I am going home in December. I have some great memories from here and am currently working somewhere fairly okey. I have to say though, I think some of the Uk residents and certainly non residents really take advantage of the system. I read an artcle in the times about overseas patients not paying ect and they were getting away with it because they basically leave the country as soon as they have treatment. They arrive about to give birth or are already unwell. There was one story about a man with TB who flew to UK for treatment, said he got sick when he arrived but his TB was infact long standing. Got his treatment and went back home!! Imagine being on the plane with someone with TB. I'm not sure if you read it but it appauled me.

I was also a bit stunned when I came that I didn't have to pay to see the GP. Even at home, people who are working pay to see the GP and then claim back 75% of the cost on medicare (our public health system). I think that is a good thing, after all, we can all do maths and a years NI or medicare wouldn't cover a week in hospital if you had to pay, let alone if you were unfortunate enough to be in ICU.

[Repat]

OK, guys - I have both worked as a nurse and been a patient in the UK, and I have to say that I received more humane, comforting care in the UK than I ever have here in the US. Yes, the NHS is underfunded and over used, but there are still many positives about it, and I would be happy to return there for the care.

Fergus is right! And, by the way, you DO have to pay to see the GP (if you're working). What do you think your taxes do?!