Is anyone watching this? I wondered even though its a TV programme am I wrong in thinking the standard of nursing was more compasionate ..than it is now or the standard of care was better.....the hirachy of Matron - Sister - nurse - probationer. A direct line one patients, visitors and and staff understood.

Yes and sister saying things like "curtains need washing, floor needs scrubbing - there is not excuse for uncleanliness".  The reason why superbugs have sprung up is because hospital standards have slipped - they just don't care about patients' welfare anymore - it's all about the managers balancing the books. 

Good programme though - will continue to watch although a bit gory at times.

Love that programe!  Have been glued to it the past couple of weeks!  Cleanliness seemed of much more importance then too.

i agree its as though the lines of commioncation have become blurred over the years.
life was so much harder then with kids dieing form d and v but even today with all we have leant people are now dieing from mrsa instead.

I really wish I had seen this programme, it sounds just the kind of thing I love.

I'm a traditionally trained nurse of over 30 years experience (I qualified in 1977), and in addition to my regular duties, I'm the infection control link nurse for my department. It's a full time job in itself, and frankly Debussy, I'm offended that you have generalised so blatently, I do care about the patients, I care very much.

I think what you have to remember is that viruses and bacteria are evolving and morphing all the time. There are 'bugs' about now that simply didn't exist back in the 40s and 50s. In the case of MRSA, 30% of the general population carry MRSA on their skin. Therefor it follows that 30% of patients bring MRSA into hospital when they are admitted. Once they have any kind of puncture wound, i.e. venous cannulation, the risk of bacteraemia is increased in a person who's resistance is lowered by their illness.

Yes of course we all need to be more aware of hand hygiene, everyone Nurses, Doctors, Porters, Radiographers, Cardiographers............blah blah blah the relatives and the patients themselves. You would not believe how many patients have to be 'encouraged' to wash their hands after the toilet or before a meal.

Nurses must take their share of the responsibility for  Healthcare Aquired Infections and in my opinion the problem started when nurse training was taken out of the Hospital and put into Universities nursing is, or should be, a vocation. I have two personal by lines, one is there's no short cut to experience, and the other is Nurses are born, not made.

Dawn R (Registered General Nurse)

The problem arose when a certain Iron Lady introduced "managers" & did away with Matrons(in the old sense of the word), then came the contracting out of the cleaners, cutbacks on the money allowed to the NHS & this went on for 19 years don't forget.

I agree with you Dawn about the training being taken out of the hospital. The young lady next door is at University doing her nursing studies & didn't pass the written exam at the end of the year & had to resit-Her practical work is of the highest quality(this is from the reports on her placement work)& my neighbours wife is a Nurse Practitioner & has been a nurse all her working life. She agrees that there is too much book learning nowadays & not enough practical

I'm a pain in the butt about hand washing etc

You can see the program here

Dawn its a series every Sunday evening I think, I am not saying all nurses do not care far from it but when you go to the hospital now you see nurses in the groups for want of a better word and it seems you are a n annoyance for daring to ask a  question.

The World is now 24/7 and we want everything now, yet even it seems care is under pressure - I state a problem my Uncle Bob  was dying - and a side effect was his kidneys packed up and he had to have drips etc and when we went to see him he had a dip in his arm fluids adn it was almost out of "fluid" he had asked for it to be changed as the arm got infected adn veins were down and the canular thing he had was painful but if the frip dried up he go an infection (his othr arm was one big bruise) I wnt and aasked the burse as we arrived she said "when his nurse gets back its not my paitent" he My Uncle Bob said she wasrough anyhow and had hurt him before. Which was agreed by the rest of the ward she was a harsh nurse. I had to cause a fuss eventualy to get his drip changed......a lot of tutting went on as they did it. He was in his 80's but a fit and quick man who had been in the royal marines played semi pro football and had 5 sons and daughters their spouses and grandchildren, niece nephews and brother and sisters neighbours dropiing in everyday yet still they treated him the same my Cousin Michael bought his Dad home and he went into a hospice in the end and his day (last 5) there were a world apart care/time/thoughtfulness....treated as a human not a nuisence.

There were good nurses but they were seemingly run off their feet as the for want of a better word "lazier ones did little"

A good friend of mine is an intensive care nurse....and says the same she started training, nurses are born not made...she strated training when we left school in 1979........maybe we have to many people with clipboards and not enough people on the ground.

Would you bring back matrons and hospital training.

I obviously wasn't being personal, although I suppose I generalised.  But why did you take it so personal?  By 'they' I was referring to the people at the top who control the strings and the purses.  But I am afraid standards have slipped drastically.  I know people who have awful stories from their stays in hospital, and honestly you wouldn't treat a dog like it!  Of course nurses do a fantastic job and you are underpaid (as am I who works with children with special needs - but do it for the children not the money - can't wait to feel the pinch from the 10p in the £1 abolishment - cheers Gordon Brown!)

But I love programmes like this (also Lark Rise, etc.)

Dawn, I couldn't agree with you more.
I have worked in health for ever....didn't complete nurse training and now am glad thats another story though.
I currently work as a physio aide in all depts from IC to  elderly rehab, consequently we are high risk for transporting bugs and all very aware of our responsibilty.
All patients should have a notice over their beds asking 'have you washed your hands before you touch me?'

Karen

completely agree karen