Those who should- don't.

[annesingleton]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Anne, though things become more technical, you do get updates, and are required to update your practice constantly......every nurse must keep a personal development portfoilo which the statutory body of nursing can request in order to inspect your educational development.

New Technological equipment always comes with study days.......and you have to gain competence in the use of such equipment. All nurses are obliged to say if they do not feel competent in using equipment....this is so that gaps in their knowledge can be dealt with.
All nurses have performance reviews too.

I don't think you can teach compassion....or empathy. You either have it or you don't

I completely agree with you about compassion and empathy, and I do know that my now ex sister in law has had to update her practice constantly throughout her career, I think that the old way of training seems to have been more effective than the current university route.
Are you still practising Margaret, you sound like the sort of nurse who could pass on extensive knowledge and experience!

[Margaret Pilkington]

No, I retired some nine years ago now. I did teach student nurses though, both in the classroom and on the wards. I enjoyed teaching and passing on skills that I had learned.

[Margaret Pilkington]

sorry to hear about your distressing time Neil, glad to hear that you are now on the mend........the offer of a blanket bath still holds!

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Anne, though things become more technical, you do get updates, and are required to update your practice constantly......every nurse must keep a personal development portfoilo which the statutory body of nursing can request in order to inspect your educational development.

New Technological equipment always comes with study days.......and you have to gain competence in the use of such equipment. All nurses are obliged to say if they do not feel competent in using equipment....this is so that gaps in their knowledge can be dealt with.
All nurses have performance reviews too.

I don't think you can teach compassion....or empathy. You either have it or you don't

Spot on there Margaret, but updating your skills is not just confined to nursing, I remember my Father telling me when he was in his late fifties that he was still learning his trade, and he was a first class Joiner, I always said that if I ever became half as good as my father I would be one hell of a joiner myself. Just to digress, I think the proudest moment I had was when my father was fitting out the bedroom at his home and he asked me to show him how to install a suspended ceiling using acoustic tiles, something he had never come across but was prepared to ask me for help as I'd been on a specialist two week course at Marley's to learn about ceiling systems

[Margaret Pilkington]

John, part of being smart(and I don't mean this in a sarcastic way....I mean it in education) is in recognising your own weaknesses. That is why we had yearly appraisals. Which we all hated....but were very useful as they made us scrutinise our own practice, work out where our weaknesses were.
These weaknesses could be worked on, and we could improve year on year.
My weakness was always in the technical machinery.........I could look at a patient and 'suss' when there was something wrong....but the machinery........I needed help with that, but again, if I could not do it I usually knew someone who could, and would practise the art of delegation. Isn't that what leadership is about? Knowing how to use your staff and resources. My staff said they always felt proud to be called upon to do something that was beyond me.(that is also another good leadership ploy - make your staff feel valued and important)

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

John, part of being smart(and I don't mean this in a sarcastic way....I mean it in education) is in recognising your own weaknesses. That is why we had yearly appraisals. Which we all hated....but were very useful as they made us scrutinise our own practice, work out where our weaknesses were.
These weaknesses could be worked on, and we could improve year on year.
My weakness was always in the technical machinery.........I could look at a patient and 'suss' when there was something wrong....but the machinery........I needed help with that, but again, if I could not do it I usually knew someone who could, and would practise the art of delegation. Isn't that what leadership is about? Knowing how to use your staff and resources. My staff said they always felt proud to be called upon to do something that was beyond me.(that is also another good leadership ploy - make your staff feel valued and important)

Those Hi-med machines are a pain in the butt

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes John you are right...the bleeping i-meds were always on my list of things that I needed to master.
I would get nicely used to one model and they would upgrade it for a new and more complicated version....and I would go right back to square one. It felt like an electrical verson of snakes and ladders.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Yes John you are right...the bleeping i-meds were always on my list of things that I needed to master.
I would get nicely used to one model and they would upgrade it for a new and more complicated version....and I would go right back to square one. It felt like an electrical verson of snakes and ladders.

The last time I was an inpatient, I was on anti bios intravenously, some real thick stuff, the i-med was set for an hour duration, if it beeped once in that hour it beeped a dozen times, got on my nerves never mind the staff

[Margaret Pilkington]

There have been a couple of letters in the national newspapers which echo my feelings on this subject.....from recently retired nurses. So I reckon I am not too wide of the mark.