Recognition of Value

Recognition of Value

This was a really inspirational first interview with Julie Burnett an Assistant Practitioner. You work with colleagues but you don’t often get time to just talk. This chat looks at the recognition of value and how it can impact on the career of a nurse. The interesting things she gets up to outside of work were quite a surprise.

What motivated you to become a nurse?
Well I started as a hospital domestic on the wards and wanted more patient contact and progressed from there really and I am now an assistant practitioner.

What would you say to your student self?
Don’t do it……. no not really, so much has changed some for better and some not. The best bits are the love, variety, and characters of patients as I found I really got to know my patients inside out in the community and in hospital, you feel like part of the family, but you have to gain their trust.

What would be one of your most memorable moments during your career to date?
I loved community nursing as you are going into patients environments and you can see them in a different light as opposed to being in a clinic and they are totally different at home, you see the real them and very rewarding. That doesn’t happen as much in general practice now as they only let you see what they want to. The pandemic has made a real impact on patients and people are still wary of coming into the surgery and I can see that people have lost themselves and I can see that and you can’t help but take it on board. As you wouldn’t be a caring person if you didn’t and it affected us dramatically as well, you have that connect with them and their families and it remains difficult now.

This edition of HLM is about recognition, can you recall a career recognition moment?
Definitely! When we did the assistant practitioner course we were the first to do it and I don’t think we got what was sold to us. We are still waiting to have this qualification registered and I qualified in 2006 and it makes me feel undervalued and especially now it has changed to Nursing Associate. At my time there was a difficulty as to which registration body would take responsibility for us. It makes me feel really demoralised and its often not recognised.

So does this make you feel like a ghost?
Yes, I was told that I needed to go on this course really to fill a void/gap as there was a lack of registered nurses and I would be like the old State enrolled nurses and had to write an essay, and highlight expectations and my colleagues feel the same we still stay in contact. I specialised in leg ulcer management and had to deal with the opposition.

Do you feel you hit the road to early in several kinds of roles?
Yes, it only seems OK when there is a shortage, and you can see that in the wage that is paid.

What favourite things do you do outside of work what’s the other you?
Family are my priority and my partner as we have good social times together. My other half works nights, so when we do have time together we like to enjoy it and try to switch off which can be difficult at times.

How did you do during the pandemic and what support did you have?
I think it was day to day scary it was upsetting and scary more than anything.

How did your family cope with you being in that environment?
We kept in close contact with face-time, it wasn’t the same as face to face so they knew that I was OK physically but mentally you couldn’t tell them so I kept that to myself.

Can you reveal something that I wouldn’t expect to know about you?
I’m a massive football fan and I have met Jack Grealish and his family. I entered a competition and won VIP access to see him and I also sat in Pep’s chair.

How do you think HAYDEN could help with that social connection for patient care?
It should be about the patient at the centre and it shouldn’t be about the different companies or services you work for and should all be looking to the same goal. Communication, just looking at how different services approach patient care will be interesting and just having insights as to how each service works I also work at a different site in the same organisation and getting used to the different demographic just a couple of miles down the road takes some getting used to. Even in the last 12-18 months the influx of different languages and health needs, has totally changed how I nurse and how to approach things.

OK so a quick fire question round now….

Take away, home cooked meal or restaurant?
Depends on the occasion but I do like to go out for a nice meal.

Dog, cat or other?
Easy Dog.

Scrubs uniform or joggers?
Has to be a uniform as scrubs are just to big for me I drown in them!

Favourite song and why?
Oh my God I can’t pick one I just love music, but I’m a heavy rock chick, really.

Favourite film/series?
Got to be Dirty Dancing as it came out the day my youngest daughter was born and it always reminds me of her as a little baby.