Our weekly news roundup of articles including ‘baffling’ observations from the front line and a petition calling for a ‘nurse emoji’ gains thousands of signatures.
Coronavirus: ‘Baffling’ observations from the front line – BBC
23 May – Article by Chris Morris
When you talk to intensive care doctors across the UK, exhausted after weeks of dealing with the ravages of Covid-19, one phrase emerges time after time: “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Nurses’ pay: your government is out of step with public mood on NHS, RCN tells Johnson – Nursing Standard
22 May – Article by Kat Keogh
The government must have an honest discussion about nursing pay after the COVID-19 pandemic, the RCN has urged Boris Johnson.
College leaders have written to the prime minister amid anger over comments made by health and social care secretary Matt Hancock that nursing staff have received a ‘significant pay rise’ in recent years.
NMC allows suspended nurses to return to practice to shore up COVID-19 effort – Nursing Standard
22 May – Article by Stephanie Jones-Berry
Four nurses suspended from the register have been allowed to return to practice in efforts to shore up the workforce during the pandemic.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has identified 12 cases where registrants were originally suspended on public interest grounds only, and where no risk to patient safety was found.
Self-isolating but still at work: the nurses behind the front line – Nursing Standard
22 May – Article by Alison Moore
While the pandemic has brought legions of nurses back to the bedside, there are others who have had to step back from patient-facing roles because comorbidities or COVID-19 symptoms in their household have required them to self-isolate.
This has not meant they are unable to play a part in the response to the pandemic; in many cases they are doing jobs that makes the work of those in patient-facing roles easier.
Petition calling for ‘nurse emoji’ gains thousands of signatures – Nursing Standard
26 May – Article by Petra Kendall-Raynor
A campaign for a universal ‘nurse emoji’ has attracted more than 3,000 supporters.
An emoji to represent the profession would be used across social media platforms and phones. The petition was set up by nurse Laura Cain on Change.org following International Nurses Day on 12 May.
General practice nursing: QNI sets standards for new staff – Nursing Standard
28 May – Article by Kimberley Hackett
A set of voluntary standards for nurses new to general practice has been published by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI).
The QNI standards of education and practice for nurses new to general practice nursing have been developed to support them at the beginning of their career in the specialty.
Last Clap for Carers
For the past 10 weeks, we’ve been clapping for our NHS heroes at 8pm to say thank you for their courageous work during this pandemic. Although last night was the last clapforcarers – we’ll always be thankful for the work that our NHS does. A special shoutout to the TFS nurses – you’re all amazing!
