Over the weekend I cared for a patient that required physical 24 hour supervision by two people at all times
It was a necessary, labour intensive, expensive and at times mentally draining task, but strange as it may seem not one that nurses on intensive care are unfamiliar with.
I was " supervising" the shift and was helped both nights by agency nurses, with different levels of experience and knowledge.
Throughout the often long night shift, I had the opportunity of discussing the experiences of both and one in particular, a support worker who travels all over the North of the country in search of work, was an eye opener to say the least.
He told me that he loved working in environments like ours.
The reason?
He was party to " nice" staff and high standards of care,
He also told me how lucky I was having everything I needed to hand.
I explored his statements further and was somewhat shocked to hear of just how care varies in some public and private care situations.
He told me that he has cleaned stinking carpets in the middle of the night in an effort to provide an environment suitable for old people to exist in. He has endured bullying and exploitation by burnt out and uncaring staff and he had worked in places that thought providing one pair of gloves a shift was a luxury.
He told me of one dilapidated private home which had one resident's room open to the night's sky whilst another always had one pristine and beautifully furnished empty room on standby just in case the inspectors came to call..
It was depressing stuff.
Working as a nurse in the public sector is not always a piece of cake. But generally in my experience, the care is excellent, standards are high, the environment is suitable for purpose and respect is high.
Sadly in the " real world" that is not always the case
Thoughts readers?
It was a necessary, labour intensive, expensive and at times mentally draining task, but strange as it may seem not one that nurses on intensive care are unfamiliar with.
I was " supervising" the shift and was helped both nights by agency nurses, with different levels of experience and knowledge.
Throughout the often long night shift, I had the opportunity of discussing the experiences of both and one in particular, a support worker who travels all over the North of the country in search of work, was an eye opener to say the least.
He told me that he loved working in environments like ours.
The reason?
He was party to " nice" staff and high standards of care,
He also told me how lucky I was having everything I needed to hand.
I explored his statements further and was somewhat shocked to hear of just how care varies in some public and private care situations.
He told me that he has cleaned stinking carpets in the middle of the night in an effort to provide an environment suitable for old people to exist in. He has endured bullying and exploitation by burnt out and uncaring staff and he had worked in places that thought providing one pair of gloves a shift was a luxury.
He told me of one dilapidated private home which had one resident's room open to the night's sky whilst another always had one pristine and beautifully furnished empty room on standby just in case the inspectors came to call..
It was depressing stuff.
Working as a nurse in the public sector is not always a piece of cake. But generally in my experience, the care is excellent, standards are high, the environment is suitable for purpose and respect is high.
Sadly in the " real world" that is not always the case
Thoughts readers?
