Disgusted at the NHS

patchwork_cat

Kaz2904 wrote: »

I promised myself that I wasn't going to post on this thread and Ive held back for days.
A newly qualified staff nurse will earn £20710 per year. I earn £24831.
I've been qualified for 7 years now and am regularly left in charge. I am a senior, have done my teaching course, I cannulate, I take blood, I check blood results, I take and read ECG's, I give IV drugs. I wash patients, I turn them, I feed them, I hold their hands while they're dying. I ring their family and hold their hands when they're crying.

OP, sorry for your awful experience but we're not all bad.

Kaz I think maybe you are misunderstanding. I think the general concensus certainly from myself is that like every profession there are good and bad, but that it is maybe the move to more clinical roles that is harming the NHS. I certainly feel that nurses should be nurses and doctors should be the clinicians.

Just a question though should there not be someone more senior on the ward with you - surely you should at the middle of band 5? not be the most senior member of staff on duty?

patchwork_cat

Dr.Rock wrote: »

Yes, just agreeing with what you said and adding that although it's not strictly true that there is nowhere further upwards to go, to do so would take nurses away from the frontline of dealing with patients which, for most is the reason they are in that job. Obviously, as you point out, the competition for specialist Nurse jobs is gretaer than that for staff Nurse positions.

Unfortunately that is often the case. A headteacher frequently doesn't teach, basically after a certain point you cease to do the profession you trained for and become a manager! that is why at promotion it is said we are not seeing if you are good at the job you are doing, but if you would be good at doing the job you are applying for! So if you are an excellent nurse you may well not get promoted as you may not appear to be an excellent manager!

Kaz2904

I'm not the middle of band 5. There are 2 more levels above me so by 2011 I will be top band 5. I would like to point out that knowledge isn't all about how long you've been qualified. I've done plenty of extra learning activities, courses and reading around the subject in my own time.

Patchwork cat, you may not have been against us but there are plenty of people on here who are just having a pop at nurses in general.
The problem is that we are taking on more clinical roles (as you have said) but we are also having to do the cleaning when there are no cleaners there. We also have to do patient care, washing patients, doing their dressings and feeding them.

jackieb

I took my dad into hospital today for some tests and I was thinking about the original post. My dad had to put on a hospital gown and I told him to make sure he took in his dressing gown. He was on a (mixed) day ward and the staff were all lovely. They even supplied dressing gowns so my dad didn't even need to wear his own. It makes me sad to think that it's not the same for everyone. I can't imagine how uspet I would've been if he'd been treated in the same way as the OP's mum was.

lynzpower

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I don't agree. Myself, husband and various relatives have had unsatisfactory treatment in more than 6 hospitals and none of us have complained, which leads me to think that the numbers who do are really a very small tip of the iceberg.

When you take an interest in your own healthcare and bother to research treatment options you get a good idea of what is best practice and can be very well aware how far standards often drop below this. If you don't realise this and you're admitted to hospital and just accept what you're given then I do think that this is a question of low expectations.

If this is a condescending attitude then so be it.

100% agree with this. Ive had some horrendous experiences with in the NHS.

I worked as a children & families socia lworiker in one of the top 5 NHS hospitals in the country. It was rat infested. The staff were shocking, there were a handful of dedicated staff, but in the main, staff not bothered. Running out of cotton wool Not reading case files- disacharging children into the care of abusive parents :mad:. Kids left alone to throw up on themselves:mad:- doctors and other clincians alike not noticing broken bones on childrens Xrays.:eek: Blood was everywhere in that hospital, literally everywhere, drops in the lifts, on the floor of the coffee shops, on the wheelchairs. :eek:

About a year ago I was meant to be called back to have some cancerous cells removed from my womb- I had to call 5 seperate times, then they finally told me theyd forgotten to send a letter. But the nurse managed to still have a go at me for "leaving it so long" :rolleyes:

A few years ago, I felt a strange sensation in my pelvis, feeling really bloated, bloating turned to pain, stabbing pain I went to the STI cliniconce, then I went back a motnh later to double check, ks just to be sure and true enough they gave me the all clear. I went to the GP and he recommended I go to the NHS walk in centre attached to a hospital in inner london . Went in there, collapsed, was sent home without tests, as I was being "dramatic" Came back 2 days later when I started to be slightly tearful.I ws really scared at this point. I was told I was depressed ( I have had years of gynae problems, all not diagnosed). and should go back to my GP. a week later I collapsed at home and taken by ambulance not conscious. I was taken into the hospital I remember the sirens the swirling lights, then the horrendous vomiting. I was generally not that conscious. I was given some injections to stop the violence of the vomiting. I was put in a side room where I was no have no visitors and nil by mouth.

I was on a drop and the nurse opened the door and shoved the canula/ drip in towars my bed.I hadf to change my own canula as no one knoew what was wrong with me, it might be catching. :rolleyes: My old freind is a nurse so in desperation she talked me through how to change it I rang her off my mobile :rotfl: What a joke.

I was not allowed out of the room, and no visitors. On day 5 having still not eaten anything, or given a diagnosis. I wsa told, you can go home. I said I want to see the dr. Dr came. "Dr what is wrong with me" Dr shyly replied i had a urine infection that because it was undetected had spread throughout my pelvis ( Pelvic inflammatory) and infected my liver.

:T :T :T I asked for a urine test right in the beginning and they said theres no need as I was just being dramatic :T OH good one!

I would love to know how much it costs the NHS for someone to be kept in a side room alone for a week- anyone know?

I agree Older, I never complained either.

bumpoowee

Dr.Rock wrote: »

You obviously don't know anything about Nurses or Nursing so I'll disregard your opinions though I repsect your right to have them.
I will say that there are !!!! Nurses around, but there are also very good ones. Just like in every other walk of life.

Good then you won't mind if I ignore everything you say, as I know several nurses and many people who work in the health sector. You clearly have never worked in any job that could be considered skilled in any way. You should try reading some of the job descriptions as there really is some pretty basic stuff in there. Maybe try reading this http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nursing_skills.shtml. I used to work in a debt management company and did everything in there but I certainly wouldn't say that made me 'skilled'.

Oldernotwiser

lynzpower wrote: »

100% agree with this. Ive had some horrendous experiences with in the NHS.

I worked as a children & families socia lworiker in one of the top 5 NHS hospitals in the country. It was rat infested. The staff were shocking, there were a handful of dedicated staff, but in the main, staff not bothered. Running out of cotton wool Not reading case files- disacharging children into the care of abusive parents :mad:. Kids left alone to throw up on themselves:mad:- doctors and other clincians alike not noticing broken bones on childrens Xrays.:eek: Blood was everywhere in that hospital, literally everywhere, drops in the lifts, on the floor of the coffee shops, on the wheelchairs. :eek:

About a year ago I was meant to be called back to have some cancerous cells removed from my womb- I had to call 5 seperate times, then they finally told me theyd forgotten to send a letter. But the nurse managed to still have a go at me for "leaving it so long" :rolleyes:

A few years ago, I felt a strange sensation in my pelvis, feeling really bloated, bloating turned to pain, stabbing pain I went to the STI cliniconce, then I went back a motnh later to double check, ks just to be sure and true enough they gave me the all clear. I went to the GP and he recommended I go to the NHS walk in centre attached to a hospital in inner london . Went in there, collapsed, was sent home without tests, as I was being "dramatic" Came back 2 days later when I started to be slightly tearful.I ws really scared at this point. I was told I was depressed ( I have had years of gynae problems, all not diagnosed). and should go back to my GP. a week later I collapsed at home and taken by ambulance not conscious. I was taken into the hospital I remember the sirens the swirling lights, then the horrendous vomiting. I was generally not that conscious. I was given some injections to stop the violence of the vomiting. I was put in a side room where I was no have no visitors and nil by mouth.

I was on a drop and the nurse opened the door and shoved the canula/ drip in towars my bed.I hadf to change my own canula as no one knoew what was wrong with me, it might be catching. :rolleyes: My old freind is a nurse so in desperation she talked me through how to change it I rang her off my mobile :rotfl: What a joke.

I was not allowed out of the room, and no visitors. On day 5 having still not eaten anything, or given a diagnosis. I wsa told, you can go home. I said I want to see the dr. Dr came. "Dr what is wrong with me" Dr shyly replied i had a urine infection that because it was undetected had spread throughout my pelvis ( Pelvic inflammatory) and infected my liver.

:T :T :T I asked for a urine test right in the beginning and they said theres no need as I was just being dramatic :T OH good one!

I would love to know how much it costs the NHS for someone to be kept in a side room alone for a week- anyone know?

I agree Older, I never complained either.

I know, you couldn't make it up, could you.

Our 2 worst stories (separate hospitals) were when I was admitted for a biopsy for a lump on my breast and I waited for hours for someone to come and tell me whether it was malignant or not. On my way back from the loo I bumped into the doctor in the corridor, who told me that they'd booked the mastectomy for the next day! When, rather stunned,I said that I supposed that it was cancer, all he said was "Hasn't anybody told you yet?"

Some years later, my husband was admitted close to respiratory collapse. In the morning one of the nurses gave him a cigarette and let him go outside to smoke it and he collapsed (they take your inhalers away from you) and was lucky to be found fairly quickly. In the afternoon, she gave him another one but they forgot that he'd gone outside and was only found, collapsed, by another patient. He was without oxygen for some time, nearly died and was left as if he's had a stroke.

We never complained about either of these but I made damned sure that I had private medical insurance after this!

Errata

We never complained about either of these but I made damned sure that I had private medical insurance after this!

Awful experience for you and your OH. I laid in an emergency bed and a doctor toddled up and told me the tests showed that this level was that, and that level was this blah blah. As I had a raging temperature I knew I didn't understand the implications of the results and asked him what they meant.
"We think you may have cancer" he said. And trotted off.
Private hospitals can have their moments too. Recently a chap died during a routine procedure because the hospital had no blood stocks on site.

Many people have a less than happy experience of treatment in hospital, but I would guess the percentage who complain is quite small as most want to forget all about it and get on with their lives.

loftus

The percentage who complain is small......and do they also tell surveys which ask if they received good care lies just to get them to go away? All 93% of them?

patchwork_cat

Kaz middle of Band 5 or 2 points above that is semantics - I appreciate that you have been a nurse for 7 years, but I was still also of the opinion that a more senior member of staff was to be on duty, too. There is not many careers where after 7 years you would be the most senior member of staff on duty - maybe this is another reason that the NHS is failing. That is not a dig at you Kaz, but
at what 28? you must appreciate that you are really only just beginning your career.

I pointed out from my point of view most people are vehemently disagreeing with the poster who stated that nursing is semi professional. Don't have a go at me when I am supporting you.

There are good and bad in all professions and I have stated prior to you one of the reasons IMO that the NHS is in crisis - nurses are being treated as clinicians and do not have the time or some the inclination to do the caring.

Notlongnow - are you seriously saying that due to patient confidentiality you couldn't say sorry I was late a patient died, come on - no names no pack drill just information!