Attending my appointment at my GP practice the other day, I was ushered into the clinical room where a member of the practice nursing staff was waiting. Her task was to take my bloods etc. I’m terrified of needles and wasn’t looking forward to this bit at all. This was quickly noticed, and the member of staff sat me down, talked through the procedure and reassured me that everything was going to be alright. True to her word, the procedure went smoothly, and I was heading back home in no time.
This wonderfully reassuring person is one of the nursing support staff who was supporting other clinicians to run the clinic that morning. What I needed was someone to manage my needle phobia, and she did that exceedingly well! Our nursing support workers (NSWs) play a vital role in clinical teams. Many are taking on more nursing tasks and many are trained to undertake highly skilled clinical procedures. NSWs are often one of the first people we meet in clinical settings and, under the supervision of registered nurses, give so much of the care we need.
The next time I visited the surgery I asked to speak her. I had reflected on my experience and felt it important to thank her and let her know the difference she had made to me. She told me that she is currently training to become a registered nurse and I could see the enthusiasm in her eyes as she spoke about her future aspirations. Here was someone who in every way was delivering care above and beyond and, I’m sure, on a journey to become a nurse-extraordinaire!
We at the RCN celebrate nursing support workers every year on 23 November and this year in the South West we are holding an on line event for nursing support workers at 5pm on Tuesday 21 November. This event will discuss job descriptions and the importance of having them up to date to ensure you are paid at the correct grade for the work you undertake. Our RCN reps will also share their experience of negotiating uplifts for band 2 nursing support staff.
You can learn more information on our event page.
To find out more about the day itself, visit our Nursing Support Workers' Day webpage.
