Are you born a nurse or made a nurse?
The role of NHS values in selecting candidates for nursing
“You’re not born a nurse or made a nurse – it’s a combination of the two,” said Pauline Walsh, Head of School of Nursing at Keele University, speaking at a Congress event exploring NHS values, how nursing students are selected, and what factors make a good nurse.
Pauline said that NHS values – which include working together, compassion, and respect and dignity, are the appropriate values nurses should be demonstrating when looking after patients. “I don’t believe that every applicant coming into nursing should be able to demonstrate all the NHS values – once they start their journey we need to facilitate them and build on the inherent values of each applicant,” she added.
Moira Davies, University of South Wales Admissions Tutor, agreed with Pauline that nurses are both born and made. “What we are looking for is the potential to care and the potential for leadership,” she said. “Being clever and being caring are not mutually exclusive,” she added.
Wendy Fairhurst, RCN Advanced Nurse Practitioner Forum Chair, also agreed that nurses are a combination of born and made but was interested in that “something else” that makes someone a nurse. “I can’t quite put my finger on what it is,” she said, prompting a lively discussion.
Katie Davis, RCN Students Committee, said that she thought nurses are born with abilities that could make them a good nurse, but that caring and compassion come from the heart. “I don’t think that’s something you can teach. You either have it or you don’t,” she added.
Registered nurse David Blake, Hampshire, said that he certainly wasn’t born a nurse – he was made one. “I didn’t have a caring bone in my body,” he said. “What changed me was enjoying the experience of being a carer.”
