Sorry love, what's your name?
Using words such as 'dearie' or 'love' when talking to older people is set to be ruled out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
In the Guidance for Care of Older People report nurses will be told that they should always speak to older people 'courteously and respectfully' and address them as adults, without using such words as 'love', except when they are part of everyday speech. Instead it advises calling patients by their preferred names.
Hang on a minute - did I just read that right? "Such language shouldn't be used 'unless it is part of everyday speech". I'm not from up North myself but my housemate's gran is and whenever she rings up (not me, but my housemate) and I happen to answer the phone she often finishes her sentence with "thanks love".
So therefore does this mean that it is still ok for nurses from Yorkshire, the West Country and the North East to continue to use terms like 'love' and 'pet', respectively?
Well, after Nicky raised this story on air our text machine was inundated with your views on the subject. And it seems some of you also have friends with a northern gran.
Frank, texted us to say that "everyone in Yorkshire is called love" and Sarah wrote "I work at Stafford hospital where all the locals are called duck". However an anonymous text said "Calling elderly people by their first names or love does lead to us thinking of them as children".
So we invited Dr Peter Carter, the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing on the programme to explain to us why this rule is being brought in. Listen to the interview below.
Here's what The Royal College of Nursing says:
"The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) completely supports these guidelines. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and that doesn't change when it comes to healthcare. For a long time, we've been saying that nurses should ask patients how they would like to be addressed. "The RCN Dignity campaign is about making sure that every nurse can take steps to make patients feel comfortable in potentially difficult circumstances. Addressing patients properly is one small step that staff can and have taken to improve care."
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I, not a British national, lived in Manchester for a few years and have been a regular visitor for many more .
Does this mean I won't hear again in the back streets of Hale, Altrincham, the lovely question: Dooz the booce coom' oop 'ere, luv?
W'at a roody shame, luv!
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I am a nurse and completely agree with not using such terms of 'endearment'.
I find the quote, 'This is ridiculous and does not do justice to nurses' professionalism and understanding of patients' needs' by Anne Milton to be ignorant as terms like 'dear, pet and love' are extreamly condescending and very unprofessional.
All patients are individuals and should be addressed in such a way, elderly or not. I consider it a mark of respect.
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This is the most pompous, smug and at the same time ridiculous policy I have ever heard. All this will do is make the health care environment more cold and sterile. I am a 65 year old MD, and I would not in anyway consider those terms patronizing. I would be comforted by the continued warmth of any caretaker using those terms while attending to what are often unpleasant tasks. Keep my bottom clean and call me what you like!
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