[Margaret Pilkington]

I have my own views on this.
Taking nurses out of local schools of Nursing and putting them into Universities was not a good move(IMHO).
I served a sort of apprenticeship....a sandwich course in nursing. We were taught that the patients needs were paramount......they came above everything else(including meal breaks).

My experience of the University student nurses was that they were not interested in doing the basic stuff. Washing bottoms, changing patients, bathing patients, feeding patients(all activites which have such a personal touch to them, and which often lead patients to tell you their fears and worries....which you would never otherwise have known....and which you could then address)all they wanted to do was the technical things.

If I was going into nursing now, I would not be accepted. My education would not be deemed good enough........I would have had to go to college to do a foundation course.

I am glad I did my nursing when I did, because it was the best of times. the bit I enjoyed the most was caring for patients.......doing for them what I would want for a member of my own family....treating them with dignity.
We were not well paid and we worked very hard......but working hard is never a chore if you enjoy what you are doing.