Programme Notes
Careers - Work it
Working Week
Programme 2
Emergency Nurse
Aims:
To give a realistic idea of the working life and career opportunities of an emergency nurse, including:
- the range of work, from assessment to resuscitation
- the various tests for career advancement
- shift work
- the talents, skills and personality required
- emotional and stressful aspects of the work
- the hospital environment.
To raise issues of self-development in the workplace and career management, including:
- coping with irregular hours and shifts
- managing stressful situations
- being aware of financial factors
- behaving professionally with members of the public
- avoiding value judgements
- taking criticism / guidance from superiors
- working with colleagues
- understanding short, medium and long-term career options.
Synopsis:
00.00-01.09
Introduction. Debbie's background, goals.
01.10-07.17
Monday
Description of Emergency Department, 'Triage' and 'Resus'. Preparing for Triage exam. Talks about training.
Senior nurse deals with Resus case, patient dies. Talks about stress, seeing people in pain, dying.
07 18 - 11 04
Tuesday
Triage exam. Debbie marked down for not offering painkillers. After assessing 15 patients, she passes.
Evening relaxing with friends. Talking about shift work.
11.05-15.14
Friday
Debbie's first day in charge of Triage. Talks about relationship to doctors, career options, shifts.
15.15-16.42
Night out with boyfriend. She works shifts, he's on regular hours.
16.43-24.03
Saturday
Night shift. Dealing with an alcoholic. Nurses need to be empathetic.
Debbie called to Resus - drug overdose patient. Working with Resus team, Debbie very nervous. She struggles but gets help.
4am. New Resus case. Successful treatment, patient discharged.
Credits
Curriculum Relevance:
England & Wales
This programme is focused on Careers Education and Guidance, but could be used
in aspects of PSHE and Citizenship curricula, for KS4 and post-16.
It is appropriate in terms of the national framework of CEG for 11–19 and
the recent emphasis on learning through work, as a preparation for work experience
and as a ‘TV experience’ of the working environment, with respect
to specific learning outcomes of self-development, career exploration, and career
management.
Northern Ireland
The series focuses on Careers Education and Guidance. It will also be useful for
courses at KS3 and KS4 dealing with Learning for Life and Work, including Education
for Employability, Local and Global Citizenship and Personal Development (including
PSHE and Home Economics).
It is appropriate in terms of the national framework of CEG for 11–19 and
the recent emphasis on learning through work, as a preparation for work experience
and as a 'TV experience' of the working environment, with respect to specific
learning outcome of self-development, career exploration and career management.
Scotland
This programme focuses on Careers Education and Guidance, and can be used in aspects
of PSE and Citizenship curricula at National Qualifications and post-16 level.
It can be used to support learning through work, as a preparation for work experience
and as a ‘TV experience’ of the working environment, with respect
to specific learning outcomes of self-development, career exploration, and career
management.
Background Information:
Nursing
The image of nurses has changed over the years and nowadays nursing is a desirable,
exciting and dynamic career, with a variety of new roles opening up within the
profession. The work of nurses is increasingly valued.
Nurses tend to focus on the care of the individual rather than on specific illnesses
and conditions. In a hospital a patient can frequently have up to 90% of their
care from a nurse rather than a doctor.
The range of working environments is wide. Nurses work in hospitals, GP surgeries,
clinics, nursing or residential homes, occupational health services and various
voluntary or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). There are opportunities in
the prisons services, schools and universities, within the armed services and
even on leisure cruises.
The NHS employs the greatest number of nurses and has many opportunities in both
clinical and managerial positions.
There is a growing private sector, including hospitals and nursing homes.
There are research and teaching opportunities for nurses.
They can work in large institutions, be self-employed or work for agencies.
Suitability
Debbie is responsible, reliable and hardworking, both caring and empathetic as
well as practical and a competent clinician – all ideal qualities for nursing.
Nurses need to be:
- good communicators and listeners, able to relate to a range
of patients with both physical and mental health issues
- compassionate, sensitive and patient
- firm, authoritative and tough sometimes
- diplomatic with members of the public
- able to work in teams and take individual responsibilities and initiative
- calm and un-panicked in the face of emergencies
- practical and with an interest in the sciences.
Some things to be aware of!
- Nurses in the National Health Service work about 37_ hours a week, usually in
shifts, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
- Pay scales vary. Some examples of current pay levels: a newly qualified nurse
in the NHS earns around £15,000 a year. More senior Charge Nurses and Sisters
earn around £21,000–£26,000. Specialist nurses can earn around
£30,000 and some consultant nurses earn significantly higher.
- Nursing is very physical and demands lots of stamina. In a hospital environment
there is very little time to sit down! You also need to be in good health.
Nurses, especially in hospitals, face daily trauma, and need emotional resilience
too.
- You may need a police check before you start training for nursing.
- It’s not a job for the faint-hearted!
Training
- The minimum age for starting nursing is 17.
- Nurses can qualify through a diploma or degree.
- For the diploma, entry usually requires at least five GCSEs (A–C), preferably
including English, Maths and a Science subject.
- For the degree you need the same as above plus two A levels or equivalent with
one in a biological science.
- Various course providers have specific entry needs.
- The diploma usually last three years and the degree courses three or four.
- The first foundation year introduces the basic principles, and thereafter
nurses tend to specialise.
- Courses are 50% practical (including hospital experience) and 50% theoretical
– physiology and anatomy, psychology, sociology, ethics and social policy.
Transportable skills
Almost all the nurses associated with this programme said the same thing …
nursing skills enable you to work anywhere in the world. It’s a great way
to travel and always know you can get a job and do something worthwhile.
Activities:
Perceptions of nurses/nursing
Before watching, list various images / pre-conceptions of nurses, from books,
TV, etc. (the work, personality type, positive / negative aspects to the work,
conditions, etc.)
After watching, review the list, comparing pre- and post-viewing ideas. Discuss
the public perceptions of nurses and nursing. How have these images changed? How
have media images informed our understanding – and are they reflecting a
true picture?
Value judgements – a parachute debate
Nurses often have to make judgement calls or deal with patients about whom they
may have pre-conceived ideas. Although they may never be called on to make decisions
like this, this exercise is for students to be aware of their own value judgements.
Three patients all have urgent needs, and only one nurse is available. S/he has
all the medication / care each patient requires, but only enough time to deal
with one. Assume that each patient needs the same amount of the nurse’s
time. Students make the case for ‘their’ patient to get the treatment.
The patients are:
- An alcoholic who is suffering from liver failure as a result of years of drinking
and living rough and who needs immediate one-to-one care and medication.
- A child who has been in a fight while truanting from school and whose wounds
need urgent attention.
- An old man who has fallen off a ladder while rescuing his cat and has broken
his shoulder. He needs X-rays, painkillers and immediate bandaging.
Work–life balance and shift work
Discuss how Debbie dealt with shifts, including the impact on her boyfriend and
friends plus her levels of tiredness.
List Debbie’s shifts as they are mentioned in the programme*. Draw up a
timetable of the students’ own lives and how their time is spent. (Number
of hours spent at school, sleeping, out with friends, doing chores, shopping,
etc.) Imagine fitting in all those elements when working shifts. Try and fit all
these elements into a mock timetable? What compromises have to be made?
* Debbie’s shifts: ‘Earlies’ (7am–2.30pm): ‘Lates’
(1.45–9pm): ‘Nights’ (8.45pm–7.30am)
Fun!
Using a medical dictionary for inspiration, play ‘Call My Bluff’ with
obscure medical terms.
Links:
This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor
maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for
the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.
NHS Careers has a range of information about training and working in this and
other nursing and medical sectors
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/
Royal College of Nursing is the leading professional union for nursing, campaigning
on behalf of the profession. Their site includes information about training and
work opportunities
http://www.rcn.org.uk/
Nursing Times is a nursing newspaper featuring articles and stories about issues
in the profession, and jobs listings and career information too.
http://www.nursingtimes.net/
Credits:
Hair Colour Technician
Camera (Bar) Mike Fox, Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Mike Lax, Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair
DV Director Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck
Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning
Emergency Nurse
Camera (Bar) Mike Fox, Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Mike Lax, Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks, Richard Nicholls
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair
DV Director Imogen Haigh
Production Manager Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck
Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning
Journalist
Camera (Bar) Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks, Alice Ballentine-Dykes
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair, Imogen Haigh
DV Director Sacha Mirxoeff
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Jayesh Lathia
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck
Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning
Youth Worker and DJ Tutor
Camera (Bar) Mike Fox, Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Mike Lax, Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks, Richard Nicholls
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair, Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck
Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning
Businesswoman
Camera (Bar) Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Sound David Marks,
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair, Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
Editor Jayesh Lathia
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck
Produced by Double Exposure for 4Learning
Shop Display
Camera (Bar) Zoran Veljkovic
Sound (Bar) Ewan Reynolds
Music Audio Network
Dubbing Mixer Jim Betteridge
Online editor Matt Scragg
Researcher Richard Nicholls
Sound David Marks, Alice Ballentine Dykes
Assistant Producer Roz Sinclair Imogen Haigh
Production Manager: Pippa White
Executive Producer Andrew Bethell
DV Director Sacha Mirzoeff
Editor Sam Bennet
Series Director Nick Woodroffe
Series Producer Ingrid Falck
Double Exposure for 4 Ventures