Hospital Nurse Grades

[MTbowels]

I've just come back from visiting a relative in hospital. Does anyone know anything about UK modern hospital nurse grades please? I had a chat about my relative with a "staff nurse" in a light blue uniform who wasn't able to provide me with the information I needed.

The staff nurse went to fetch a RGN (Registered General Nurse) in a white dress with blue shoulder epaulettes, who was able to answer my questions. Curiously, the RGN seemed a little uneasy answering my questions in the presence of the staff nurse. Is a staff nurse more senior to a RGN? Is there somewhere on the web I can clarify the seniority of these grades in the UK?

thank you.

[ljdksa]

http://www.21stcenturynurse.com/UKSalary.htm

Hope this helps

[Sqad]

MTbowels....what an excellent question............no I´m afraid I don´t.

At one time it went Matron--Assistant Matron----Sister----Staff Nurse.....Student Nurse...then a young thing who too young to do Nursing and depending upon which hospital were called "pinkies"

That for me worked quite well...the all of a sudden it changed to No1....No 10....god knows who they were.I would get the ward orderly at that stage as she was the only one who knew what was going on in the ward.
Then came Nursing Degrees for God¨s sake and if AB degree nurses are to be considered then the standard of knowledge and spelling of medical aspects is APPALLING.

No i cannot answer your question, but there will be an "avalanche" of answers from modern nurses.

[rowanwitch]

Not grades but bands... Bands 1-3 are unqualified up to NVQ qualified health care assistants who deliver most of the bedside care (the old nursing auxillaries) band 4 less common would be an enrolled nurse the old SEN
band 5 is the basic staff nurse level and they would normally hold the old SRN, RGN or newer RN(g) qualification although some SENs have taken qualifications to function at the same level Planning care, giving drugs in all forms, organising the ward and some hands on care
Band six senior staff nurse or junior charge nurse/sister depending on the trust usually having additional specialist qualifications
Band 7 senior sisters /ward mamagers or nurse specialists,
Band 8a modern matrons but trusts vary depending on size or degree of specialisation All qualified nurses have responsibility for supervising/training unqualified staff and nurse learners

hope that helps

[Bbbananas]

I am intruiged by your username MT......

[Sqad]

rowan---yeah!...triffic!....so where does the degree in Nursing come? B.Sc I am led to believe?

[Sqad]

salla...good morning my love, MTbowels sells "do it yourself" kits for enemas.

[rowanwitch]

Regardless the degree still gets you a band five starting position it benefits you later when you have experienceand apply for promotion to senior roles as health service bands have equivalent academic levels band 5 is first degree or equivalent experience with a lesser qualification, band 6 masters or first degree plus experience.... etc an ex colleague who started nursing with a masters still started at a band 5 as she had no practical experience to back up the qualification...she was on paper better qualified than the unit manager...she has since done a phd ....and gone into nurse education

[Sqad]

rowan...ummmm! sounds very clever, but I still value the time when the Consultant and his retinue was met at the entrance to the ward by the Consultant and his juniors, an orderly ward round ending in coffee in Sister´s office. As one exited, one would whisper in Sister´s ear "9.30 at your place and the Janet Reger knickers"

[ljdksa]

Do you wear Janet Reger knickers, then, Sqad?

[Sqad]

rowan....I have just read the questioner´s OP again....But, when you are speaking to a nurse, what identifies her as in a particular band?

[Sqad]

ljdksa......LOL......you shouldn´t be old enough to remember Janet Reger.

I was a particular fan of her lingerie............for my females.....that is!

[rowanwitch]

Depends on the trust... some use different colour uniforms ours is pale blue HCA, Mid blue staff nurses, navy blue sister/charge nurse, burgundy piping ward manager, teal piping modern matron, lilac piping associate director of nursing, purple chief nurse.... but I know that it is common in the private sector for all nursing staff regardless of grade to wear the same colour giving the impression it is fully staffed by qualified nurses possibly to fool people into thinking they are in safer hands.... last time i went private the staff was two qualified / three auxillaries to 24 rooms bearing in mind the number of post op patients this was pretty thin cover If a person calls themself a nurse they must hold a professional qualification

[seadogg]

My daughter is a specialist nurse (tissue viability) working in the community and running a clinic and she wears no uniform.

[Sqad]

rowan ...thanks.

Your comment about Private Hospital care was noted.

[anneasquith]

all nursing and medical staff are obliged to wear identity cards. which must be visable. if confused read the id , it will state the name and the position they hold.

[Sqad]

anne....but does the identity card tell you which band they are in and if it does, would you understand it?

[bednobs]

although most hospitals are different, i have noticed that most keep the navy uniform for sisters.
I would say that in your case, i would guess the difference was staff nurse worked for the hospital (ie on staff), rgn was an agency nurse (white uniform with epaulettes is agency round here). Could be the agency nurse just knew more about your relative,

[MTbowels]

Thank you all and particularly Sqad. He has mentioned the very problem, I have with this in that the nurse had a badge stating "Registered General Nurse" but no indication of her grade or band.

I suppose the badge with her name and "Registered General Nurse" on it might well be regarded as the id card anne mentioned, but even then it still doesn't provide a clue to her seniority in the hierarchy of the nursing staff which was what I needed to know. Again Sqad has reiterated my confusion.

DIY kits for enemas? I also do home visits!!!

[rowanwitch]

Did your staff nurse say that was what she was or have a badge to say it or did you assume like many peoople because a member of staff is dressed as a nurse they are a staff nurse. If they were an HCA they would need to fetch a qualified nurse to speak to you.... or it might be they were a staff nurse with the registered nurse qualification but simply went to fetch a nurse more actively involved in the patient's care, or who was more experienced... As I put in my responses Staff nurses almost without exception will be RGN/RNg but Sisters and Charge nurses must also hold the regisrered qualification.

[Chaffinch]

Sqad, thank you so much for calling me young and modern, no one has done that for years xxxx

My Father (RIP) also prefered hospitals in your day, but the he would ................he was an undertaker!