FEELING DOWN

NO-ONE TO TURN TO

JUST NEED SOME-ONE TO LISTEN

[I KNOW HOW ALONE YOU CAN FEEL WHEN CARING FOR A FRIEND/RELATIVE JUST TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND HAVE SOME-ONE WHO GENUINELY CARES AND KNOWS HOW THE LITTLE ANOYING THINGS REALLY GET ON TOP OF YOU CAN HELP]

WHY NOT GIVE ME A CALL. I MAYBE ABLE TO  HELP I WILL TOTALLY UNDERSTAND

MY WORK EXPERIENCE

I started   out at my local college, doing a pre-nursing course,then my first job in the NHS was Asst housekeeper in the medical residency, allocating rms for drs, visitors,etc.

Still at the same hosp. I went to work in the operating theatre, as operating dept asst, where I was involved with assisting anesthetist's, helping surgeons and nursing staff, during and after operations in pre and post op care.  After several years. I moved to Co-Durham and did srn training, working in all depts including ITU. You can see a photo of our group at the start of our training on the gallery page.

After several yrs, I changed direction and went to look after girls in boarding schools, first at St Georges Ascot, as

House mistress, then as Senior matron.

Cobham Hall Kent. I was offered the position at Kent when the Headmistress

came on a visit to the school, Cobham

Hall was a large international school

and I had much more responsibility, taking charge of several year groups of

girls and the domestic staff, covering the sick bay, escorting girls to hosp appt

dealing with consultants, liaising with

parents,dealing with and making

decisions on behalf of parents when the

girls had accidents [which they

 frequently did]Having to put things right, when they went wrong insisting on a certain course of treatment, as some parents only wanted their children treated homoeopathic 

I worked until I had my accident , so I know my around the nhs and also the private sector. years after my accident after I had learned to walk again. I did voluntary work at my local hosp for over 10yrs. It has been during this time, I became so dreadfully aware how nursing standards had dropped, the awful fear patients have of complaining, due to fear of "Oh don't say anything ,  they will take it out on me " What sort of professionals in still this type of fear This did not happen occasionally, but on a wkly basis.

It was during my time as a volunteer I became involved with Stragetic Health Authority and helped in gaining information for a report into hosp acquired infections mainly MSRA, which came as no surprise of the rising numbers of patients contracting MRSA, Due to the lack of basic nursing  care. I attended a clean hosp summit in London, which lead me to discover the use of silver dressing which were been used at Doncaster hosp and their whole approach to patient wound care, they were and are achieving remarkable results. Some other hosp now are starting to use these dressing.

I fear part of the decline of nursing has been due to the fact sadly nurses do not really now want to do basic nursing, they much rather prefer to become more involved in the tech side, eg nurse practitioners, they may have extra training, but they are not Dr's, although some like to think they are, and I have heard nurses saying as much. I dread to think what Florence Nightingale would think. Advanced care and technology are all very well and have there place, but most ill people, especially the elderly, just want to be cared for, listened to and treated with respect.

Keep the new developments, treatments we need progress, but please do not forget the basics of care and dedication, of caring for the whole person and respecting their decisions over treatment. Just as a Mother knows a child's needs, so does a patients family know that patients wishes.

OATH TAKEN BY ALL DRS

"I SWEAR BY APPOLLO THE HEALER, BY AESCULAPIUS,BY HEALTH, BY PANACAEA AND ALL THE POWER OF HEALING,AND CALL TO WITNESS AND THE GODS AND GODDESSES THAT I MAY KEEP THIS OATH AND PROMISE TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND JUDGEMENT.

I WILL PAY THE SAME RESPECT TO MY MASTER IN THE SCIENCE AS TO MY PARENTS AND SHARE MY LIFE WITH HIM. AND PAY ALL MY DEBTS TO HIM. I WILL  REGARD HIS SONS AS MY BROTHERS AND TEACH THEM THE SCIENCE,IF THEY DESIRE TO LEARN IT WITHOUT FEE OR CONTRACT. I WILL HAND ON PERCEPTS LECTURES AND ALL OTHER LEARNING TO MY SONS, TO THOSE OF MY MASTER AND TO   THOSE PUPILS DULY APPRENTICED AND SWORN, AND TO NON OTHER.

I WILL USE MY POWER TO HELP THE SICK TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND JUDGEMENT; I WILL ABSTAIN FROM HARMINMG OR WRONGING ANY MAN BY IT.

I WILL NOT GIVE FALSE DRAUGHT TO ANYONE IF I AM ASKED, NOR WILL I SUGGEST ANY SUCH THING, NEITHER WILL I GIVE A WOMAN MEANS TO PROCURE AN ABORTION.

I WILL BE CHASTE AND RELIGIOUS IN MY LIFE AND IN MY PRACTICE.

I WILL NOT CUT EVEN FOR THE STONE, BUT I WILL SUCH PROCEDURES TO THE PRACTITIONERS OF THAT CRAFT

WHENEVER I GO INTO A HOUSE, I WILL GO HELP THE SICK AND NEVER WITH THE INTENTION OF DOING HARM OR INJURY. I WILL NOT ABUSE MY POSITION TO INDULGE IN SEXUAL CONTACTS WITH THE BODIES OF WOMEN OR OF MEN WHETHER  BE FREEMEN OR SLAVES.

WHATEVER I SEE OR HEAR PROFESSIONALLY OR PRIVATELY, WHICH OUGHT NOT TO BE DIVULGED I WILL KEEP SECRET AND TELL NO-ONE.

IF, THEREFORE, I OBSERVE THIS OATH AND DO NOT VIOLATE IT, MAY I PROSPER BOTH IN MY LIFE AND IN MY PROFESSION,EARNING GOOD REPUTE AMONG ALLMEN FOR MY TIME. IF I TRANSGRESS AND FORSWEAR THIS OATH, MAY MY LOT  BE OTHERWISE.

'AS TO DISEASES,MAKE A HABIT OF TWO THINGS-TO HELP, OR AT LEAST, TO DO NO HARM'

[Epidemics,book 1 chapter 2]

[it is not only Dr's who should  be aware of the oath. but also nursing and especially ad min staff, when taking decisions affecting patients lives]