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My Opinion: It’s Time We Stopped Knocking “Old School Nurses”!

My Opinion: It’s Time We Stopped Knocking “Old School Nurses”!

Old school nurses show there is nothing better than experience

Featured Author:

Mo Mossman

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Mo Mossman was a nurse for 35 years, specialising in Theatre Nursing. You can find out more about Mo in her article My Experience of…Theatre Nursing

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There are lots of SRNs and SENs still working within the NHS, these nurses have become almost universally know as “old school” nurses.

In many cases they are considered to be somewhat behind the times, not as well educated or trained as 21st century university trained nurses.

Let’s see what we can do to dispel that myth.

‘Old School’ Nursing training

I can, obviously, only speak from personal experience so here goes. We had excellent hands-on training, the teaching, by nurse tutors (in study blocks), clinical tutors and qualified nurses (on the wards), was superb.

We had practical experience in all specialities and were able to be seconded into such areas as Maternity, Paediatrics and Psychiatry.

I consider my training was broad based and comprehensive. Once qualified we (at my training hospital) were EXPECTED to “staff” for at least a year at the hospital, whilst we “specialised” in our chosen field,<a href = “http://www.pronurse.co.uk/careers/articles/517-my-experience-oftheatre-nursing” TARGET="_blank">I chose to work in theatre.

I spent the whole of my working life doing courses, study days and further training in order in keep up-to-date with the changes in nursing.

I was, and still am, very proud of my SRN qualification, as students we worked hard but we also played fairly hard.

We were obliged to “live-in” during our training as most of us had come into nursing straight from school at the age of 18 (minimum age for training) and were therefore legally minors. Most of us were educated in the old-fashioned grammar school system up to “A” level standard.

SENs trained for two years, their course was not as academic.

So, yes, we were trained in the “Old School” way but that does not mean we were less academic than today’s university trained nurses.

Yes, we were “schooled” in the very practical aspects of nursing, we knew how to make a bed, give a bed bath, change a dressing, but we also knew the diagnosis and treatment of all the patients on a 30-bedded Nightingale ward.

We were able to do a ward round with matron (the old type!) and we also knew how to properly clean a bed-space when a patient was discharged.

If you still want to call us “old school” go ahead but please don’t call us out-of-date, not as well trained, less academic and, worst of all lazy.

All of us can learn something new every day and that includes 21st century university trained nurses as well as “old school” nurses.

SRN Training

Entry Requirements to train at Teaching Hospital.

5 x GCE “O” levels @ grade C or above, including English Language and a Science.

• PTS (Preliminary Training School) 6 weeks
• Study Blocks (8-12 weeks) in each year
• State Preliminary Exam, (this exam was in 2 parts, one of which was a comprehensive A&P exam), practical and theory at end of 1st year
• Hospital Exams, practical and theory at end of 2nd year
• State Final Exam practical and theory at end of 3rd year
• Hospital based training with both practical and theoretical teaching from ward/department based Clinical Tutors.

SEN Training

Two years training followed by written and practical exams.

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