So, the government have confirmed our fears that there will be no additional pay rise this year owing to the fact that Nurses are mid a 3 year Agenda for Change pay deal agreed by the NHS Staff Council.
Sadly, taking into account inflation means that whilst it is true that we are in the middle of a pay rise, this has not been enough to counterbalance ‘real terms’ pay decreases which happened over the early and mid-2010s. In other words Nurses’ pay is still significantly below inflation.
Despite the huge extra effort, the extra hours, the personal risk, the redeployment, the emotional and physical stress it is still not our time to be financially rewarded.
I qualified as a Nurse in 1995. This pay situation has never improved and I believe it never will. I believe that it will never be our time.
No amount of petitions, social media posts or strikes will take us to where we deserve to be or anywhere near it.
Society continues to repeat the rhetoric that we should be Nurses because of our compassion, selflessness, our calling.
Now for some of you, this may also represent your views and although I will never agree with you I respect you as fellow Nurses.
The last time I checked, Nursing was a professional and not a religion. I am not ashamed to say that I want more, I deserve more and those desires do not make me any less of a Nurse.
If all this wasn’t enough, we have the the saddening news that conservative MPs have voted against a move intended to protect the NHS and publicly funded health care services from any form of control from outside the UK.
With all this depressing news, how can we find something to feel positive about?
We can and should continue to sign petitions and make our voices heard but perhaps, it is time for you to consider ways in which to create your own opportunities and your own financial rewards.
What do you have to lose by at least looking at this as an option?
Creating a business may sound daunting, intimidating and not the reason you became a Nurse. But this journey can be
- Challenging
- Exhilarating
- Evolving from the skills you developed as a Nurse
I am planning to develop a membership for us to work together on these individual projects.
If you want to be involved in something fresh and exciting then complete the survey below as many of your peers already have and actually have your say in how this will run.
Take 5 minutes out of your life to do something proactive – nothing ventured nothing gained!