London-trained Nurses

I'm starting my (adult) training at King's College in September. Is there still an unjustified reputation that London-trained nurses are the best? I've heard quite a few people say this including nurses, but is this an out of date view or is it really true? With a bit of introspect, I guess one of the major benefits of training in London would give you excellent experience while out on placement with the more specialist care provided - is this where it has come from? Do other trained HCPs who train in London hold this sort of status?

Discuss

Well, I've worked as a HCA for about 2 years now and it seems that's what everyone says on a number of wards (especially theatres!). I've also observed that the nurses I know who've trained in London say it is the best (and highly recommend it) have a sort of snobbish approach to it BUT AS WELL nurses who've trained else where having a sort of snobbish opinion of nurses who train in London.

I do agree with smilee172 though =), being it's down to the experience out on placements.

I think the reason I was always being told that, is because outside London, hospitals provide more general, essential care and most of the big hospitals in the city have national or even international reputations 'for being the best'.

I guess one of the major benefits of training in London would give you excellent experience while out on placement with the more specialist care provided

I think the reason I was always being told that, is because outside London, hospitals provide more general, essential care and most of the big hospitals in the city have national or even international reputations 'for being the best'.

i dare you to walk on a ward at Alder hey or Sheffield children's and say that ...

I dare you to walk on a ward at Papworth and say that , or one of the Regional spinal injuries centres, headley court, of the professorial Ortho unit at Sheffield ...

i think it is a ridiculous view point when british nurses skills on qualifying fall very low in comparison to many other countries.

i dare you to walk on a ward at Alder hey or Sheffield children's and say that ...

I dare you to walk on a ward at Papworth and say that , or one of the Regional spinal injuries centres, headley court, of the professorial Ortho unit at Sheffield ...

I was talking in the general sense, not literally.

Also with regards to your comments made towards the skill levels of qualifying nurses in this country, may be the 'Hospital @ Night' initiative may be of interest to you - http://www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/hospitalatnight.html . What you are getting will become more aparent when the new EU workforce directives come into force in October (I think) which will restrict junior medical staff to working often very long, tiring shifts. Have a look at that link or if you can get a copy of the Nursing Standard a couple of weeks ago.

You mentioned the US are ahead of the game in terms of nursing competencies and skills but...as far as I'm aware the US were the first country to train and have nurse practitioners in the 1980s due to a either a massive prediction or current shortage of doctors at the time. I don't think it was until the 90s when the UK started to train nurses up to nurse practitioner levels. Do correct me if I'm wrong as I can't say I've done much research into all of this.

Pre-qual Nursing courses are currently under review by the NMC, so it will be interesting to see what their findings are...May be with bringing nursing up to a graduate only profession will help with what you're suggesting too? There's already a working group made up of various professional people in various capacities revising what nurses and midwifes should be doing for the government and there findings will come out this year or next (can't remember!).

Renal, I meant 'specialist care' in terms of healthcare provision rather than an individual actually specialising in a particular area of care.

Oh and good point Subcutaneous!

sounds like your research is a bit behind, you'll learn all this in your training anyway.

Nursing courses are under review and WILL be a graduate only profession, nottingham for example will be graduate only by 2011, and the NMC aims for all universities to just offer the degree program by 2015. They're looking into scrapping branch training, and bringing in a 'internship' year.

US are not ahead in the game, infact my lecturer (who is a trained nurse from america, and has taught in the uk and US) believes it is an equal par, just a different format of learning and ofcourse many US nurses will have to deal with issues such as insurance etc, where as we have lectures on the NHS lol

and as for that directive, not new news, but show that to any qualified nurse or a sister, and they will laugh in your face...

what's the internship year? is that like a placement year?

yeah, its an idea thats being reviewed atm, so the degree would be 4 years, i think its a really good idea personally, i'd feel more comfortable knowing i'll be having a year long placement after my 3rd year when i'm still a student but like a 'mid time' between being a student and NQ! On the other hand..what if you have a really bad place for your placement??!!!

does that mean there'd still be placement throughout the course, or not at all? and would the 4th year take the place of preceptorship or would preceptorship have to take place AS WELL. Because if so, that'd be like being a student for nearly 5 years and that'd be ridiculous!