Safwards

I think this is a great idea. We have photoboards with pictures in our wards and departments with pictures and titles, in addition to ID tags but this says so little about who we are as people. I have yet to meet a nurse who does not reveal something of themselves during everyday interactions and whilst reading these postings was musing to myself that it would be harder to not reveal things. Everyday I see someone with a badge displaying some alliegence or other (usually charitable such as a pink ribbon or a wristband) and this gives a lot of messages about your values and perhaps how an illness has touched you. The way people wear their hair or choose to dress or the bodyart which they use all say something before we even speak. Few nurses would keep their favourite football team a secret and most use this to engage people in their care...why wouldn't you?

Thanks = this is a really good forum topic - an issue which I am experiencing currently and unsure how to handle. I had thought it would be voluntary. One nurse said she didn't want to put down specific info and when the champion said just make it vague then - she replied well it would be lying then cause it wouldn't be true. There are a number of people who are resisting and of course they support each other in their resolve. I can imagine it would cause all sorts of bad feelings and split the staff and lose support for other interventions if we were to say they had to do it.

Hi

My approach to this sort of resistance would be to ask staff who are resistant about thieir anxieties and what they suggest might be the impact of them or others, of making what really amount to small disclosures. There should be an onus on them to provide such an argument. Vaugue is not a lie. If I say that I have an interest in classical music, always read the newspaper and like to ride a bike these are quite vague but are also fact. I can build on this and say I have a growing interest in the work of Schubert, read The Guardian and plan a cycling trip across country to raise funds for a cancer charity I am adding more detail but still not making anything like a major disclosure.

Secondly I would ask them to consider the NMC code and the requirement to "always practise in line with the best available evidence". To refuse to engage in the intervention is potentially a professional failing. You can look further at The Code such as the requirement to work co-operatively to reduce risk and also to deal with differences of professional opinion by discussion and informed debate. I could go on.

This is a great answer, Paul. I'd never thought of using the code

My big message to colleagues about safewards is that the evidence base is as good as, or better than, other evidence we have for specific interventions. If you accept this (and there are arguments to be had) then you really do need to be practicing 'in line' with the evidence. For sure have a debate, please do tell us more about your concerns but do so in the spirit of collegiality and do so professionally.

The examples from the research team on this site are interesting. For example I might steer away from talking about my enjoyment of alcohol in a care setting

The Code says quite a lot of useful things about cooperation and evidence-based care and would be worth a re-read for those facing resistance. However I do wonder if overt resistance is easier to deal with than the more subtle undermining of ideas and practise which can hamper any improvement work.

Just realised you are in New Zealand. However a quick look at your code of conduct for nurses says very similar things to the UK version. In principle four it says:

4.7 Deliver care based on best available evidence
and best practice.