The United Kingdom stands on the cusp of another general election vote. Perhaps there will be a change in the political direction of the Country, perhaps not – only time will tell. Regardless of any change of government on 9th June, over the past few years there have been a number of decisions at governmental level decisions have affected the nursing profession, working conditions and our ability to maintain safe, effective care for patients. Do we think the nursing voice been accurately heard and represented during these decision processes?
I’ve had two conversations in the past few days which sum up for me why I believe all nurses need to become more politically engaged. One was a positive encounter and the other less so. I’d like to share these with you together with my belief why nurses should become more involved in the politics of nursing and healthcare.
The first conversation was with my hair dresser. Shortly after Theresa May had called the general election, we’d had a conversation about registering to vote and we discussed the importance of reading parties’ manifesto promises. I was delighted when this time, she initiated the conversation and told me that she’d done just that – looked at the facts before her and decided to vote in a way that best represented her hopes and aspirations for the future. Just one short exchange empowered a person to examine facts and ask questions. Whilst it doesn’t directly affect nursing, it highlights the power of conversations to encourage others to be more politically aware.
The second less positive conversation occurred on social media, and prompted this blog. I love social media and the opportunities it gives to engage with people from different walks of life, many of whom I’d never come into contact with otherwise, whose opinions and views give me pause to challenge and reshape my thinking on some issues. Sometimes it can be challenging when other people’s perceptions of the nursing profession differ from my own, sometimes because they are inaccurate, sometimes misinformed and sometimes because elements of truth are identifiable and they are not always comfortable.
Societies form their views of the nursing profession from a variety of sources – from television, personal experience, newspapers, conversations, political parties, the list is seemingly endless. The nursing profession does not operate in a vacuum; rather it’s involved in the day-to-day activities of life. I recognise that I am unable to change everyone’s perceptions of nursing, however collectively as one voice nurses could.
Nurses need to step up to the challenge of 21st century healthcare and find their individual and collective voices remembering that healthcare is political and they can do this in a professional manner that reflects the Nursing & Midwifery Council Code of Conduct. All nurses can hold conversations, challenge perceptions, quote facts and research and correct inaccuracies in their workplaces, though realistically, not everyone will be comfortable speaking nationally or shaping nursing policy. Be certain, if nurses abdicate their responsibility and don’t speak up for nursing, that vacuum where the nursing voice should be – at ward level, management, director or government level – will be filled by someone, potentially a non-nurse and the outcome may not be what is best for the nursing profession and ultimately our patients.
Surely as nurses if we are privileged to access the highlights and hardships we see in people’s lives, we have an individual responsibility to speak up when we see strategies, policies, attitudes and decisions that adversely affect our patients and the nursing profession. If we as nurses abdicate that responsibility to speak up, how can we claim to be surprised when policymakers don’t hear our voice defer to others on the issues that affect nursing?
|
@{{Comment.screenName}}
{{Comment.DateCreated | date:"dd MMMM yyyy HH:mm"}}
|
{{Comment.Comment}} |
