‘A profession that never gives up’
A defiant keynote speech brought Congress to its feet in rapturous applause yesterday as RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter called on the Government to give nurses the support they need to deliver gold standard care. Reflecting on some of the toughest challenges ever faced by the profession, Dr Carter encouraged members to fight back.
“The journey ahead is a long one,” he admitted. “We won’t get there overnight. But we’ll win the argument for one very simple reason - you. We’ll prove that you continue to go above and beyond for patients everywhere and we’ll prove that nursing isn’t a profession that gives up.
“We’ll prove to the media that nursing isn’t the problem, it’s the solution. We’ll prove to the public that their care is safe in our hands. And we’ll prove to the Government that if they give you the tools, you’ll do the job.”
On a day that the RCN exposed the dangerous reality of unsafe staffing levels, Dr Carter stressed the urgent need for nurse numbers enforced by law. Describing the Francis report as a “missed opportunity”, he said the need for mandatory safe staffing levels has never been greater. “What we need above all else is feet on the ground, nurses at the bedside and in the community. The Government can’t keep labouring under the illusion that numbers don’t matter, they do.”
It was a speech that recognised the harsh spotlight nursing is under, the unrelenting attacks on nurses’ reputation, pay, terms and conditions. But Dr Carter also reflected on RCN successes in recent months; the members that helped defeat the “infamous” South West pay cartel and the work of RCN Scotland in halting the proposed cut to the student nursing intake.
But responding to Robert Francis’ report, and the Government’s failure to act upon the 290 recommendations made within it, dominated the rest of the speech. Dr Carter expressed his dismay that, despite accepting the need for consistent training and a code of conduct for health care assistants (HCAs), the Government had stopped short of accepting “the most powerful and effective way of protecting patients – regulation and mandatory training.”
He went on to slam the suggestion that nursing students should first spend a year working as HCAs before starting their training. Describing it as a “bizarre” proposal that “seriously worries us”, Dr Carter outlined the holes in the flawed plan. “Where is the money going to come from?” he said. “Who is going to pay for 210,000 new HCAs? Who will be responsible for them? And who decides if they are fit to go forward for nurse training?”
The comments instantly provoked a defensive response from Prime Minister David Cameron, with the story dominating the daytime television news, and Congress hitting the headlines once again.
Dr Carter closed his speech by touching on an emotional story of “real nursing”. By sharing the anecdote, he demonstrated the impact nursing has on people’s lives.
“I know that similar acts of kindness are carried out every day by countless nurses,” he said. “They’re unseen, unheralded acts, which you simply see as part of the job. That is the reality of nursing my friends. That is the remarkable job that you do.”
