FEBRUARY 2016
ISSUE 2
AGENCY NURSE JOURNAL Entrepreneurship: Nurses Possess The Right Qualities For Success
In This Issue
Nurses Possess the right qualities for business success
Have we lost focus in our attempts to dispute rate-capping?
Tip for Nursing Students: Choosing Your First Job
Drug Administration: formula for converting milliliters to milligrams
OPINION
Have We Lost Focus in Our Attempts to Mount a Challenge on Rate-Capping?
Agency nurses have been greatly affected
So, what facts have I observed in this saga?
4)
by the recently introduced rate-capping.
It’s almost impossible for agency nurses to organise themselves into a union
State finances are in an unhealthy
or any form of formal organisation. A
pockets, the cocky manner in which the
condition, and when this happens, the
good number of agency nurses have
Health Minister is going about flexing his
state becomes desperate. When the
permanent jobs that reward them with
political muscle is annoying and irritating,
state is desperate to balance books,
lower rates than the capped ones. So,
putting it politely.
they wish they could even tax you for
even after capping, they find agency
the air you breath. “Desperate times
work more rewarding. Why then
call for desperate measures”.
would they stop working for nursing
Apart from the assault rendered to their
1)
We have so far expressed feelings of anger, anxiety, frustration, and many other negative emotions. Whilst I do relate with these
2)
agencies?
We were warned. When the Conserva-
feelings, my opinion is that we need to cast
tives came into power, they vowed to
all emotions aside and analyse the whole
reduce the nation’s financial deficit
illegal, it is impossible to dispute or
scenario with some element of soberness.
which they allegedly inherited from
contest it in a court of law. Even if the
We need to separate wishes and hope from
Labour. The Tories did not say that it
minister’s decision to cap the rates
facts. That way, we stand a chance of for-
would be easy or pleasant.
was wrong or illegal, who would repre-
mulating and implementing an effective campaign against the Health Minister’s dictatorship.
3)
5)
Unless a decision or ruling is deemed
sent agency nurses in the court of law?
Agency nurses are as good as casual
How would we appoint our legal repre-
labour. No insult or sarcasm intended.
sentative and how would we raise
“There are no strings attached” be-
their legal fees?
If we, as agency nurses, are not critical of
tween the agency worker, the agency
our own inaction or lack of focused effort,
and agency’s clients/customers. There
then we stand to lose the fight before we
are Terms and Conditions of Business
disputing rate capping; apart from the
attempt to engage with the aggressor. It is
Agreements between agencies and
petition.
always important to define a battle from a
their customers, but these are limited
war. The tactics or intensity required for
to addressing dealings between those
each of the two are different.
two parties.
6)
We did not have a strategy in place for
C.S. (RGN) Essex