Medical Malpractice

What do you think about the entry for nursing being a degree at a time when nurses are not really valued?

If it is currently difficult to retain nurses and the pay is poor in comparison to other professions such as the police, ambulance and fire fighters Is it not going to put people off going into nursing? Also Health care assistance/auxiliary nurses get a bad deal as it is so they may get left way behind in pay reflection. Health education is often limited for HCAs which is also a reason for increasing sickness and low self worth. Which makes young HCAs want to leave and study for other careers. As they often feel like glorified cleaners. And so this degree may add status to a nurse making HCA's feel less worthy then staff nurses. People wanting to go into nursing may feel they are much better off or can make a difference in other careers that will pay more. However They may think it is a Great Idea giving them more experience as with patients and the multidisciplinary team (MDT). And so they possibly may feel as though they will be more ready for their career as a nurse. Another thing to consider is that nurses have to fork out to pay for their pin numbers so that they can work as a nurse. Nursing in my view is a sacrifice and a truly charitable job to work in as they are very much short changed. When you think of the pay starting at around £19000-230000. And a fireman gets around £30 000. It makes me mad to hear that train drivers are being paid around £38000. Nothing in life comes easy but it is obvious as to why hospital wards are struggling for staff making wards so much less pleasurable for staff to work on and putting patients lives in danger. The government need to stop rewarding themselves and start rewarding the people who could one day be saving or helping to maintain their lives.

Public Comments

1. While a degree may be upping standards and nursing is certainly more technical these days the standard of nursing on the wards is down to dedicated nurses having people skills and caring, their pay will need to be raised considerably if they are to attract degree students. I think it is another government ill thought out action. It can only lead to a shortage of nurses because overseas nurses who seem to fill the present vacancies will not presumably be well enough qualified. When the present batch of nurses retire there is now and will be worse later on a real shortage. When I was in hospital this year a nurse said to me I might be more interested in patient care if I received a decent salary. What an attitude!!! Nursing on this particular ward was not good I came out of hospital with MRSA.
2. On one hand, nursing has got more technical. Norses are required to do more complicated things than they previously were. On the other hand, the criticism has been made that the technical training is at the expense of traditional nursing qualities of care and a sympathetic manner.