Student nurses left to care for patients alone

[AB Asks]

Lives are being put at risk because student nurses are being left to care for patients alone. A poll of 1,500 nurses by the Royal College of Nursing found that nearly half of them had been left unattended with patients. Guidelines state student nurses should be monitored at all times. What do you think? Would you be worried if a student nurse was responsible for your care? How can something like this be resolved?

[Reverandfunk]

Forgive me if I am being somewhat stupid but I thought that is what nurses did i.e. look after patients.

[bednobs]

flipping hell, student nurses have been in charge of patients and wards for years and years. it's how they learn. I have no idea why the rcn are so up in arms about it. the student nurses are most times better att the "caring" side of stuff cause they havent had time to be beaten down yet

[cruella]

Well said bednobs!!!

[Scylax]

How on earth can this be classed as 'news' ?
Has the RCN been totally blind these past 60 years ?
To my knowledge, student nurses have always been
left in charge of whole wards of patients, especially at
night ; wards which,in the recent past, have numbered
as many as 80 patients.
A Night Sister might visit a ward twice during a 12 hour
night shift, but in times of short-staffing, holidays etc.
student nurses were the only nurses on duty.
In some psychiatric hospitals at night there would be
no staff whatsoever; only an end--of-shift visit by
a qualified nurse.....maybe.

[Scylax]

Correction : ...in some psychiatric hospital-wards at
night....

[Le Chat]

In 1984 my friend, who was a student nurse at the time, phoned me from Kingston Hospital, where she was on night duty. She was alone for the whole night but she said it was ok as there was only one patient 'for resus.' This meant that as well as being in charge of the whole ward for the whole night, if any patient got into difficulties, she wouldn't need to take any action as only two of them were worth resuscitating!! So as well as student nurses being in charge, a form of euthanasia is also used!