It all comes down to trust. We generally trust our GPs and the NHS more than we trust private companies, banks, the security services or even the government. None of the arguments in favour of the care.data database are convincing unless we can be sure that the rules on anonymising these records hold firm and the identity of patients remains concealed. It was not long ago that HM Revenue & Customs mislaid two discs sent through the post that contained the names, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and bank account details of 25 million people. What is to stop that sort of mismanagement from happening again? Susan Brown, by email
AVOID CONTACT WITH FLOODWATER AND TAKE SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS My heart bleeds for the victims of the recent flooding and the hardship and losses they are experiencing. It is a tragedy that so much of the UK has been affected, with many areas in the south east of England experiencing flooding for the first time. Many residents in these communities do not know how to cope with the damage and the clearing up. As a public health nurse, I am concerned that dirty floodwater will spread gastrointestinal disease. There should be more warnings about health prevention measures that the victims of the flooding and rescuers can follow. It is important to undertake sensible precautions such as regular handwashing, dressing open wounds and abrasions, and only drinking clean water. Avoid all contact with floodwater wherever possible. Henry Campbell, by email
BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC NURSES NEED HELP IN CAREER PROGRESSION Urgent action is required to tackle the lack of career opportunities in the NHS for black and minority ethnic nurses (Editorial and News January 29).
NURSING STANDARD
But we need to use an approach that tackles some of the fundamental reasons for the discrimination. A number of factors contribute to discrimination, including unconscious bias. This may be based on a low tolerance of cultural variations in the way that some disadvantaged black and minority ethnic (BME) nurses approach care and the way in which they communicate. Where nursing in general, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council in particular, went wrong was in failing to support recruits from abroad with a range of adaptation programmes to help them to deliver care in unfamiliar cultural settings. We need to put this right, not only to help BME nurses to progress in their careers without harassment and unfair discrimination, but also to ensure the best quality of care for all patients. Ami David, by email
ARE YOU AN ADMIRER OR CRITIC OF BRIGHT RED PAINTED FINGERNAILS? Senior lecturer Mark Wheatley is puzzled by the photograph of a nurse with bright red painted fingernails that accompanied Dinah Gould’s article on hand hygiene (Student life January 29 and Letters February 12). He says such images are confusing and do not help to promote the message of appropriate hand hygiene. But the photograph of the nurse with painted fingernails holding a patient’s hand was surely used to illustrate poor practice. As the article makes clear, 60 per cent of respondents to an online survey had noticed nurses wearing nail polish or nail extensions. If staff are failing to say anything to colleagues with painted nails, what is happening about other serious departures from good practice? Are staff reporting inadequate cleaning of the patient environment, not changing personal protective clothing between patients and the unsafe handling of sharps? We need another survey. Hannah Braithwaite, by email
TWEETS OF THE WEEK #WeNurses Remember, leaders are not always to be found at the top of the ‘ladder’ @TildaMc
@pauljebb1 talks about hearing the patients voice @BlackpoolHosp, stop talking about ‘front line’ we are delivering care, not at war @SamSherrington
Virtual dementia training should be made compulsory for all staff @emmaatracey
Yes, handover is essential, but we should have a model to structure the approach and give a framework for standards #NursingJC @Nurse_Tucker
Sometimes info at handover requires discussion and clarification. Taped handovers stop that from happening :-( @Jstutelybrown
Shift handovers ideal opportunity to involve multidisciplinary team. Needs a joined up approach @smurphy_nurse
I’m not here for the money. I’m “here for that reward that comes with nursing” #BedpansAndBandages @levylass
There’s no biscuits or chocolate in the ward staff room...signs of a bad shift #nursing @Student_Nurse1
Follow Nursing Standard @NScomment and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm february 19 :: vol 28 no 25 :: 2014 35
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AVOID CONTACT WITH FLOODWATER AND TAKE SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS My heart bleeds for the victims of the recent flooding and the hardship and losses they are experiencing. It is a tragedy that so much of the UK has been affected, with many areas in the south east of England experiencing flooding for the first time. Many residents in these communities do not know how to cope with the damage and the clearing up. As a public health nurse, I am concerned that dirty floodwater will spread gastrointestinal disease. There should be more warnings about health prevention measures that the victims of the flooding and rescuers can follow. It is important to undertake sensible precautions such as regular handwashing, dressing open wounds and abrasions, and only drinking clean water. Avoid all contact with floodwater wherever possible. Henry Campbell, by email
BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC NURSES NEED HELP IN CAREER PROGRESSION Urgent action is required to tackle the lack of career opportunities in the NHS for black and minority ethnic nurses (Editorial and News January 29).
NURSING STANDARD
But we need to use an approach that tackles some of the fundamental reasons for the discrimination. A number of factors contribute to discrimination, including unconscious bias. This may be based on a low tolerance of cultural variations in the way that some disadvantaged black and minority ethnic (BME) nurses approach care and the way in which they communicate. Where nursing in general, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council in particular, went wrong was in failing to support recruits from abroad with a range of adaptation programmes to help them to deliver care in unfamiliar cultural settings. We need to put this right, not only to help BME nurses to progress in their careers without harassment and unfair discrimination, but also to ensure the best quality of care for all patients. Ami David, by email
ARE YOU AN ADMIRER OR CRITIC OF BRIGHT RED PAINTED FINGERNAILS? Senior lecturer Mark Wheatley is puzzled by the photograph of a nurse with bright red painted fingernails that accompanied Dinah Gould’s article on hand hygiene (Student life January 29 and Letters February 12). He says such images are confusing and do not help to promote the message of appropriate hand hygiene. But the photograph of the nurse with painted fingernails holding a patient’s hand was surely used to illustrate poor practice. As the article makes clear, 60 per cent of respondents to an online survey had noticed nurses wearing nail polish or nail extensions. If staff are failing to say anything to colleagues with painted nails, what is happening about other serious departures from good practice? Are staff reporting inadequate cleaning of the patient environment, not changing personal protective clothing between patients and the unsafe handling of sharps? We need another survey. Hannah Braithwaite, by email
TWEETS OF THE WEEK #WeNurses Remember, leaders are not always to be found at the top of the ‘ladder’ @TildaMc
@pauljebb1 talks about hearing the patients voice @BlackpoolHosp, stop talking about ‘front line’ we are delivering care, not at war @SamSherrington
Virtual dementia training should be made compulsory for all staff @emmaatracey
Yes, handover is essential, but we should have a model to structure the approach and give a framework for standards #NursingJC @Nurse_Tucker
Sometimes info at handover requires discussion and clarification. Taped handovers stop that from happening :-( @Jstutelybrown
Shift handovers ideal opportunity to involve multidisciplinary team. Needs a joined up approach @smurphy_nurse
I’m not here for the money. I’m “here for that reward that comes with nursing” #BedpansAndBandages @levylass
There’s no biscuits or chocolate in the ward staff room...signs of a bad shift #nursing @Student_Nurse1
Follow Nursing Standard @NScomment and join the #NScomment chat on Thursdays at 12.30pm february 19 :: vol 28 no 25 :: 2014 35
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 21, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
