The last few times I've been in hospital, I've noticed a trend. ward nurses seem to be nothing but highly trained first aiders. They know how to push buttons on machines and take blood pressure with a digital device. Now we have defib machines that talk to you with instructions so anyone can use them. Blood pressure machines in the home. A nurse at the other end of a telephone line who seems to always say "take your kid to a hospital "...........of course just to be turned away again
So what is the future of nursing?
Don't get me wrong I remember when nurses did a hell of a lot more. They trained at a hospital, not from texts books at university.
I've known nurses who have chucked in their jobs because they worked the old system and just don't want a bar of the new one .
all I'm saying is something has changed. And it's very impersonal.
unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
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fuzzywuzzy
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unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
There have always been 2 types of nurses. Those who choose it as a career, and those who choose it as a calling. I'm proud to say my Mother was one of the latter, specialising in Children's Nursing.
Before Unison came into being there were 2 unions for Nursing staff. NUPE (National Union of Public Employees), and RCN (Royal College of Nursing - RCN is still going, but I don't believe as an active union any more). Thing is that the primary tenet of the RCN was that they would never use Strike action.
Even with the advanced technology of this day & age, Nurses are an essential part to the tending for the sick. Something that cannot be explained (much as with the Placebo effect), a caring word of comfort can dramatically affect a patient's recovery rate.
You may see the Nurses job as being nothing more than Computer Operators these days, and to a degree, that is partially true, as technology has benefited efficiency & accuracy tremendously. However, what is not quite so visible are the thankless tasks that they have to do. Tasks that can never be taken over by a computer. Tending for a patient's toilet needs & cleaning up after they've soiled themselves. Facing abuse & even attacks from patients who may be be affected by alcohol, drugs, or simply agonising pain. Regardless of the burdens they have to bear, they continue to follow their duty of care (ooh - that's quite poetic ain't it).
Far from being obsolete, Government Cutbacks are notoriously continuing to make the hospitals increasingly understaffed, continuously increasing the workload of the Nurses exponentially, while their pittance of a salary continues to decrease in real terms as what small increase there may be falls way below the rate of inflation.
Many career nurses are now turning to the Private Sector for these very reasons, but the dedicated ones who accept it as their calling continue to care for the sick & needy regardless. And what is even more disgraceful is that the Government are aware of this & exploit it to the utmost.
Before Unison came into being there were 2 unions for Nursing staff. NUPE (National Union of Public Employees), and RCN (Royal College of Nursing - RCN is still going, but I don't believe as an active union any more). Thing is that the primary tenet of the RCN was that they would never use Strike action.
Even with the advanced technology of this day & age, Nurses are an essential part to the tending for the sick. Something that cannot be explained (much as with the Placebo effect), a caring word of comfort can dramatically affect a patient's recovery rate.
You may see the Nurses job as being nothing more than Computer Operators these days, and to a degree, that is partially true, as technology has benefited efficiency & accuracy tremendously. However, what is not quite so visible are the thankless tasks that they have to do. Tasks that can never be taken over by a computer. Tending for a patient's toilet needs & cleaning up after they've soiled themselves. Facing abuse & even attacks from patients who may be be affected by alcohol, drugs, or simply agonising pain. Regardless of the burdens they have to bear, they continue to follow their duty of care (ooh - that's quite poetic ain't it).
Far from being obsolete, Government Cutbacks are notoriously continuing to make the hospitals increasingly understaffed, continuously increasing the workload of the Nurses exponentially, while their pittance of a salary continues to decrease in real terms as what small increase there may be falls way below the rate of inflation.
Many career nurses are now turning to the Private Sector for these very reasons, but the dedicated ones who accept it as their calling continue to care for the sick & needy regardless. And what is even more disgraceful is that the Government are aware of this & exploit it to the utmost.
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Oscar Namechange
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unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
I have two sisters both Staff nurses, both have degree's In nursing. One at The Sussex County Hospital In Brighton, the other at Queens, Romford. No, nurses are not becoming obsolete.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
I remember that scene from "The Andromeda Strain" where the doctor is just a machine that uses artificial intelligence to scan the person and make a diagnosis. I'll bet that's the future. I also saw an article the other day about doctors who are increasingly seeing patients by using FaceTime and Skype.
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Oscar Namechange
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unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
Saint_;1456808 wrote: I remember that scene from "The Andromeda Strain" where the doctor is just a machine that uses artificial intelligence to scan the person and make a diagnosis. I'll bet that's the future. I also saw an article the other day about doctors who are increasingly seeing patients by using FaceTime and Skype.
Well that's true... even my local MP skype's me from Westminster.
Well that's true... even my local MP skype's me from Westminster.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
I have mixed feelings on that. On the one hand, I can see how it would be a huge benefit for people living in outlying districts. On the other hand, my doctor, who is very old-school, can tell all kinds of things by a push or a poke. How does that translate.
unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
The career path for nursing has grown remarkably.
My Sister-in-law is a Nurse Practitioner. She is as knowledgeable as most of the doctors in the region, and her certifications qualify her to do just about anything a Doctor is qualified for, except surgery. Her next step, professionally would be to pursue a Medical degree.
And while there is a lot of automation on the hospital environment, there is no way to completely replace the human element, yet.
My Sister-in-law is a Nurse Practitioner. She is as knowledgeable as most of the doctors in the region, and her certifications qualify her to do just about anything a Doctor is qualified for, except surgery. Her next step, professionally would be to pursue a Medical degree.
And while there is a lot of automation on the hospital environment, there is no way to completely replace the human element, yet.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
- DH Lawrence
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Oscar Namechange
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- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:26 am
unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
LarsMac;1456816 wrote: The career path for nursing has grown remarkably.
My Sister-in-law is a Nurse Practitioner. She is as knowledgeable as most of the doctors in the region, and her certifications qualify her to do just about anything a Doctor is qualified for, except surgery. Her next step, professionally would be to pursue a Medical degree.
And while there is a lot of automation on the hospital environment, there is no way to completely replace the human element, yet. I also have nieces In nursing. They are student nurses, not specialised In anything. Another Is an auxillary nurse who gets all the bed pans and vomit.
My Sister-in-law is a Nurse Practitioner. She is as knowledgeable as most of the doctors in the region, and her certifications qualify her to do just about anything a Doctor is qualified for, except surgery. Her next step, professionally would be to pursue a Medical degree.
And while there is a lot of automation on the hospital environment, there is no way to completely replace the human element, yet. I also have nieces In nursing. They are student nurses, not specialised In anything. Another Is an auxillary nurse who gets all the bed pans and vomit.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
unless specialised ....are nurses becoming obsolete?
I'm all in favour of the remote consultations. When you have an appointment with the doctor, you don't have to actually see him / her - you just need to speak with him / her, and if you have a video link, all the better.
As it happens I have a telephone consultation booked with my G.P. next Friday afternoon, when she's going to call me to discuss the results of last week's blood tests. Telephone consultations, where appropriate are far more practical & much more economical, and means you don't have to make the journey to the surgery.
As it happens I have a telephone consultation booked with my G.P. next Friday afternoon, when she's going to call me to discuss the results of last week's blood tests. Telephone consultations, where appropriate are far more practical & much more economical, and means you don't have to make the journey to the surgery.