The baby boomer generation is expected to work until approaching age 70 but they are considered frail and elderly when something goes wrong. You can’t have it both ways, says Jane Bates.
Dispatched to the pharmacy for medication to ease a friend’s bowel problems, Jane Bates wonders why buying personal items causes such discomfort, even for nurses.
With 8am surgery seen as too early a start, and evening appointments deemed too late, round-the-clock care for non-emergencies may not be that popular.
Constantly rearranging a medical appointment due to work and family commitments is causing embarrassment for Jane Bates.
The once ubiquitous safety pin is now never seen on ward, a victim of Health and Safety. Yet they harmed no one and helped many, says Jane Bates.
With little time for clinical supervision, team meetings or teaching opportunities, problems start to fester and the sense that people don’t matter becomes the norm, says Jane Bates.
Even if your comedy routine isn’t always appreciated, humour is still a great way of helping patients to relax, says Jane Bates.
Maintaining a work-life balance in the face of serious staff shortages is proving tricky for Jane Bates.
As Nursing Standard celebrates its 30th Birthday, Jane Bates reflects on her years as a columnist and why – if given the choice between doing two things you love – you should do both.
From ‘public liability’ to running a ward in three years, Jane Bates has fond memories of her nerve-wracking yet rewarding student days
Finding time to send an email while coping with a ward full of demanding patients is a step too far for Jane Bates.
The awkward process of gaining feedback for revalidation is proving something of a headache for Jane Bates.
Golden hellos may look attractive on the surface but a good old-fashioned pay rise is a much better way to recruit and retain nurses, says Jane Bates.
Coming back to the place where a loved one passed away can be hard for patients, and it is not always easy for staff either, says Jane Bates.
A conversation followiing a cataract operation leaves Jane Bates somewhat perplexed.
Accuse me of interfering if you must, but I won’t stand by and watch patients be treated unkindly, says Jane Bates.
As new research shows women born in July are more at risk of incontinence, it's all doom, gloom and plastic pants for us summer babies, says Jane Bates.
Brexit and the 1% pay cap are putting the future of nurses and the NHS at risk. The situation is critical and the time to act is now, says Jane Bates.