I work in ED and I decided a few months ago I would commit more time to patient education on their health. I try my best to use the "Making every contact count initiative"

However after giving basic health advice which Intry to talior around them after asking them a few questions about their lifestyle, 99% either don't care, don't believe me or are in complete denial.

Surely the morbidly obese man who came in for crushing chest pain doesnt see him self as an healtly person because "I walk a mile and back to the pub every day", or the patient struggling to breathe doesnt think his COPD flair up is unrelated to his heavy smoking.

I try to be un judgemental and kind but also very clear that they need to make major changes to the lifestyle but I have often been told "I dont know what I'm on about".

It also get's to me a bit that my tax is happily funding these bad choices

The Scottish Government has announced our 14 health boards will be reduced to only 2. Do you support this? What will the potential benefits be?

It happens that people on a specific rota end up owing hours, sometimes they recover them on the following one or accrue them. Now everytime a shift is not covered for whatever reason we are supposed to ask those who owe hours before requesting extra cover... we save money and hours get recovered so it looks like a win win, the problem is when this is forced.

A specific day next week we are expected to be short of staff, those who owe hours would end up doing 3 long days in a row or already have plans. Matrons now are making up rules like "if you owe hours you shouldn't book shifts elsewhere" or "if you owe hours you must recover them ASAP". The problem is they are throwing us band 6 under the bus and making us harass people to make them work those specific days, which has resulted in a couple of colleagues getting mad at me.

Now I appreciate we need to save money and hours must be recovered but once the rota has been published we are very much entitled to make plans and say no to last minute changes. Also if you ask me, 3 long days in a row is brutal, if someone wants to do 7 long days back to back then I can't argue with that, but I can't force them to do so, can I?

From my understanding guidelines are a bit wishy washy and everybody plays by their own rules, I don't want this doing so many long days in a row to be normalised (personally speaking I cannot do more than 2). So what are the rules? Is this fair?

Hi all,

I had major surgery 3 weeks ago. I’ve been told I need 12 weeks off and then a phased return. I am a NQN in ED.

I don’t know if I can go back to ED. It is so physically demanding and it’s takes months to recover from this surgery and I don’t know if I can handle it.

I’ve only been there since June and qualified in May.

What do I do ? Find another nursing job ? Or just carry on in ED ?

Has anyone ever made the transition into research nursing? I have a lot of experience behind me, but no research experience. Any research nurse jobs I see advertised always ask for research experience, does anyone have any ideas how I can get that experience, on top of my current full time permanent position? I have looked for bank opportunities but can't seem to find any.

Thank you in advance

Thinking about studying for the NA as I've been asked if I want to apply. I would say I'm a decent HCA with more knowledge than average. However it will probably take about five years in total, 2 years to get to band 4 ( which is basically the same pay as the top band 3 ) then I'd have to work a year as a band 4 before then doing a year and a half top up. The scope of the role also seems a bit poorly defined.

I've been told that the full degree is a lot more robust and I will have time to study it better, as the NA you'd still work full-time. Some people have advised for and against. Just wanted to know if anyone had any experience or opinions. Should I go for the NA or do 3 years at university

Thank you.

I am a new nurse in critical care (a few years qualified with acute and non acute experience pre and post reg) and I am really struggling.

I dread every shift, I’m crying on shift which isn’t like me, I feel so incredibly stupid and feel like I’m in fight or flight mode all the time. I’ve just had some time off due to personal reasons but I just worry that I’m not good enough, I’m trying my best but I just feel like a hinderance. How do you all cope? Does it ever get better?

This is literally my dream job but I just don’t know what to do. They’re providing me with a lot of support but I find being new in workplaces quite difficult (neurodivergent and also just an awkward human being).

Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

I walked into work after a week off to find my desk draw had been pillaged. Locum ANP who had been put in my room had got in my locked drawer and had taken my stethoscope home with them, paperwork had been moved around and my snacks had been eaten. It made me realise I can't trust to leave anything there.

Any thoughts on a good bag/backpack I can cart around? Preferably one that will last a while. I do occasional home visits but mostly I just want to be able to carry my day-to-day stuff, paperwork, stethoscope, food and drink, etc. I don't have a work laptop so it doesn't have to be that fancy.

I work in a psych ward and recently our manager has told us if we have lash infills we need to remove them or we cannot work. She hasn't given a reason, just says it's HEI policy. Does anybody know why infills aren't allowed? Especially in a non clinical area, we literally deal with aggression and violence mostly, so not cleaning wounds regularly or anything. I want to get my lashes done for 2 upcoming weddings and a holiday but she is the type of person who will make an example of you if you break the rules so want to know what the rationale is for this new rule, and is there any measures I can take for the 3 days I will be at work between getting my lashes done and when my annual leave begins? Like is protective eyewear an option?

The BBC article doing the rounds about racist refusals of care has been sitting with me since I saw it. Night shifts give you too much quiet time to turn something over in your head, and this one keeps coming back.

We've had incidents on our ward. Not every week, but enough that it's not some rare edge case. The official line from management tends to land somewhere between sympathetic and useless, which is its own kind of demoralising.

What I'm genuinely curious about is what people have actually done in the moment. Not what the policy says, but what happened when you or a colleague held the line. Did the patient get moved? Did you escalate? Did anyone senior back you up, or did it quietly get absorbed into the shift and never spoken of again?

I'm also wondering whether this looks different across specialities. I work nights on a ward so staffing options are already thin. Telling a patient they cannot refuse care on discriminatory grounds is one thing when there are four other nurses available, and something else entirely at 3am with two of you on.

I work a fixed shift pattern and I’ve been given a shift outside of my pattern. When I asked if it could be swapped as it’s not one of the days I can do, I was told I had to swap it myself. I can’t find anyone to swap it with. That leaves annual leave or unpaid leave. Is it me or does that seem unfair I have to use leave?! Is there anything else I can do?

Hello!

I haven’t sat my OSCE yet and my CBT is bound to expire this year. Does anyone have experience with this situation? Can you retake the exam before it expires or shall I wait?

Thanks!

Has anyone done the postgrad diploma / masters to top up to a RMN? I’m really interested in doing it but not sure of the best route.

My local university does the postgrad diploma which is only a year, looks good but unfortunately I don’t think you can take any student finance out for it. I have a 5 year old with autism so feel the masters course would likely be too much to handle whereas one year is a bit more manageable, not to mention I couldn’t afford to not work and pay for the course.

Would love to hear any of your experiences :)

I got my PIN just over three weeks ago (yay!). I went to check the register to see if I was a sub 1/2 nurse (because I didn't know the difference or that it was a thing) and found that I don't show up on the register. All my fees are paid, I have a pin. I can't find myself either by the PIN or my last name. Is there a delay? Or should I be calling worried?

Has anyone left a job not long after starting it?

Nothing wrong with the job at all, it's a nice place to work but it's just a long distance commute 3 times a week and thinking of applying for jobs closer to home if they come up. However I have only just started my current job.

Don't know whether to stay out of duty or to think of the distance and petrol money/wear and tear on the car.

Thank you 😊

Im writing this as wanting some advice but also to rant!. Im currently a nurse who has recently been offered funding to do a PhD. As excited and grateful as I am to start this, I approached my clinical manager to ask whether I could stay working clinically (but reduce my hours by one day a week). I did this for a few reasons: 1) because my PhD research links with my job role and would like to stay connected to the role to aid research aims, 2) would like to keep links with my clinical team so my research results can link easily with practice, 3) I want to maintain my clinical skills as I hope to return to the nhs after completing my PhD. Frustratingly, my employer denied my request to reduce my hours and told me, if I want to pursue a PhD, I would need to resign. Im a bit in shock - I thought id be more supported seeing as nursing rarely get research funding (my trust are really pushing integrated research) and we're in a work force crisis! I feel really guilty leaving my team who are already SO short staffed when I don't want to give it up. A condition of my funding is that I cant work over a certain amount of hours which is why I need to reduce them and now have no choice but to resign if I want to start the PhD. Has anyone has similar experiences? I just cant believe Im having to make this choice. Any advice on renegotiating with my employer? I did feel like I advocated for the above and even expressed how beneficial it would be for their service. Thanks!

Hey everyone not sure if this is the right place and ive reposted this so some of the information may be pretty obvious to others on here but I work as a senior carer in a dementia home and have for the last 6 years.

The place is an entire shit show. But recently a new company has bought the home and it’s gotten terrible and taken a serious toll on my mental health.

I work 12 hour shifts. We’re constantly understaffed. Usually me being the only senior carer (responsible for administering meds and over seeing staff as well as providing personal care) on shift.

We have three different units in the building and each unit should have a senior carer overseeing said unit.

Due to regularly being the only senior on sight I regularly have to administer 3 units worth of medication whilst overseeing tasks and staff on each unit. And I’m terrified of making a mistake. Some of these medications are the only things keeping certain residents alive and there has been times where mistakes have been made.

I regularly work entire shifts without a break due to being completely rushed off my feet.
And times where I pull over 24 hour shifts. Working through the day and stay in over night to assist and oversee night staff. Though we are required to have 11 hours rest every 24 hours.

When the new company bought the home the new management told us in the work places group chat that
We were expected to work to higher standards and at a higher work rate and if not we were “easily replaceable”.

In reality it just meant expect to be over worked and understaffed. corners are being constantly cut and it’s on the seniors and carers heads if something goes wrong.

Like I said, this has all taken a massive toll on my mental health and ran me into the ground and I’ve been recently prescribed anti depression tablets.

I apologise if this isn’t the right place to post this but surely this can’t be legal ?.

Not to sound dramatic but peoples lives and their care are in this companies hands. But they run their staff into the ground and expect us to work under these impossible and tbh dangerous conditions and if any shortcomings cause the harm or deaths of residents then it falls on the seniors or carers heads.

I was wondering if anyone else had worked in similar environments or heard of practices similar to this. And if there was anything that could be done from a legal standpoint.

Thanks x

Hi I’ve seen some agencies or bank staff offer shifts working in a general hospital specifically with those who have mental health difficulties as a sitter or for increase observations. What do these shifts look like and do they still exist? How do nurses from mental health trusts get access to these?

I work up in Scotland, so I have no idea how it is down south.

But I'm so tired of being short. And not just 1 nurse down, or one clinical. Having 2 1:1s and only 2 clinicals. When were supposed to have 3 when we don't have 1:1s.

Working with 5 nurses when we should have 7. When our acuity is higher than ever.

When we work with a locum reg who has no idea what's going on, and pushes drains in deeper at the bedside without washing their hands or explaining what's going on to the patient.

I have 4 patients. 3 are doubles. Full doubles. 2 hourly turns etc. 2 EVDs. One assistance of 1. These patients should be on 2 hourly obs and GCS. Multiple IVs, with levels. I'm having to alert the juniors to bloods that are off. I'm also expected to do this mostly on my own ? Because there's no other staff.

Oh and also do my care plans and bundles.

I've taken my break today so I know I won't finish on time.

I'm so done.

But I keep getting told it's worse elsewhere

Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

And yes, I am writing this on my break whilst crying in the cupboard 🤣

Like literally every workplace ever existed in my ward sometimes people have bickers and disagreements but nothing major, except for 2 specific nurses (let's say A and B).

The drama between A and B started off as simple disagreements but it was your typical "I said, you said" situation; a few months ago there was a big incident where I literally had to put them in opposite sites of the ward and since then they have been impossible to work with because there will be drama for sure.

Now A and B are arguing every day over the smallest thing, they accuse each other of bullying and each time they give their own side of stories and there is never a match. This has got out of hand and is having an impact on patient care: they refuse to cooperate and be professional, the bickers create delays and disruptions and the patients sometimes have witnessed that. It's also unfair on the other people they are working with because, on top of their own work, they have to act as mediators or pick up the pieces of what A and B don't wanna do (for example nurse C will have to countersign everything no matter what because they won't speak to each other).

Management has been involved for a long time, they are doing fact findings and getting statements which in my opinion is useful but not also not: interventions should be done immediately, not after 7 months, because of course nobody is going to remember details and keep bringing up stuff that happened in 1972 is adding petrol on fire.

Personally speaking, I found myself in instances where I had to tell both of them off, I think they both have a bit of an attitude and strong personalities that clash with each other hence why they don't get along. In my opinion at this point the damage is beyond repair and the only solution would be not making them work the same shifts, but part of me thinks if these issues had been looked into when they first startes things would have been different by now. So how would you guys handle it?

My childcare for nights has fallen through; I’m a single parent and my mum said she can’t do it anymore due to my daughter’s frequent waking. When I initially came back from maternity I was told you either do nights or look for a different role where I could just work days. Do I have any power to ask to be put into days only or do I need to make myself unemployed? I actually like my role (I’m in ITU) and hate the idea of moving to a ward. Help!

I’ve only been qualified for 6 months. Before that I used to be really nice and now I’m just really mean. I am always snapping and I just feel really down all of the time. I used to always see the good in everyone and now I don’t.

Is this normal ?