Drink driving ban

[PaulB]

That doesnt mean to say that the employers come from a nursing background!

Have you actually read any of this thread?

 

[Headgardener]

I would agree with that line of thought in most employments. However, as a former and future patient,I would prefer it if my local health authority took a hard line and protected me from people like her until she was proven innocent, perhaps desk duty and counseling? if she is a caring person as I'm sure most nurses are, then surely she would understand the situation she finds herself in warrants a hard line for the protection of patients.

They do, at least the trust I work for does, drinking or being drunk on duty constitutes instant dismissal for all staff from portering (me) and cleaning staff up to the most senior consultant. Not sure if this applies across all the NHS trusts but it wouldn't surprise me if it did.

 

[Jonathan M]

I agree that is probably the way it will go. But is that fair? Maybe she has a problem. Maybe that problem is a result of stress at work, or even in her home life. What will sacking her achieve, apart from making her problems even worse. It maybe be better for employers to look at the facts and offer help, that way you keep a fully trained and experienced nurse. She gets the help she may need.
I dont think the knee jerk reaction to sack someone is always the correct thing to do.

But if she is reported to the NMC then her employers would likely suspend her anyway - they may do so until she appears in front of the magistrates. This isn't meant to be a punitive measure, rather it removes her frrom the spotlight that she'd be under from her colleagues. But usually it does mean her colleagues will be encouraged not to contact a suspended colleague until an investigation is completed and matters resolved.

If her fitness to practice is reviewed by the NMC, then they may take any mitigating circumstances into note - after all, she'll have lost her licence, that is the punishment for the crime. If they consider that this was a "one-off" incident then what the NMC may do is not remove her from the register, but instead they may place sanctions on her, and her role. This is often used where a nurse has been misusing prescription drugs, the sanction can be that they do not hold the ward keys or perform drugs rounds unsupervised. Employers can & do take internal disciplinary actions, and the fact that this person was arrested whilst on duty does not go into her favour - imagine the headlines in the local/national papers!!??

In this case though,if her registration is not taken off her, and she pleads mitigatiing circs of an undisclosed alcohol problem, then the NMC may say she is fit to practice subject to addressing her problem. If she doesn't, can't, or won't adress it, then she can aways be recalled by the NMC.

Got to say though, evidence of being under the influence whilst on duty is pretty much a case of putting your head between your knees, and kissing your job goodbye. And if she is found guilty of this, then I would be really surprised if her employer keeps her on.

Regarding the loss of her licence, any motoring offence serious enough to result in loss of licence should result in NMC involvement, however I am a nurse who is required to drive, and since having a fit in June my licence has been suspended for medical reasons. I'm not going to loose my job, but it has been re-designed around my lack of driving at the moment. I don't think it is the loss of licence that is an issue for her, more how the loss has come about.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

sorry, but all nurses have to pass an enhanced crb. surely WHEN she gets convicted she will be a criminal. criminals cannot under any circumstances be registered nurses, or am i wrong? if i am why do student nurses have to pass a crb?

 

[addictfreak]

Have you actually read any of this thread?

I have read all this thread! I suspect your taking what im saying the wrong way.
Clearly the person in question is in a caring profession. She is employed by the NHS I presume. Nhs managers dont always have a background in healthcare. The same is true in my job these days, we are employing more and more managers without any sector competence.

So in short its the managers who im suggesting may not be from a 'caring background'. Those who come from the private sector are usually profit and performance driven.

But as i stated before this is mostly speculation.

 

[Noodley]

sorry, but all nurses have to pass an enhanced crb.

There is no such thing as a 'pass' for CRB check. It merely shows details of any convictions, etc. and people who have convictions are not excluded due to 'failing' a check. I know Police officers, social workers and nurses who have convictions.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i have a confirmed rmh placement, and i quote "subject to passing an enhanced crb" & satisfying occy health. i'm not due to start til march. i wonder why they used the term pass?

 

[Noodley]

i have a confirmed rmh placement, and i quote "subject to passing an enhanced crb" & satisfying occy health. i'm not due to start til march. i wonder why they used the term pass?

It's very misleading.

I recall a student on my Uni course getting a hard time when she had to complete a Disclosure check for a placement and it showed a conviction she had from over 20 years ago for a minor offence when she was 16. As her 'class rep' I got involved....she is now a very competent and well respected professional. Another positive from this was that the Dean of Faculty agreed with me...and a few years later he joined the same cycling club as me

 

[Davidc]

i have a confirmed rmh placement, and i quote "subject to passing an enhanced crb" & satisfying occy health. i'm not due to start til march. i wonder why they used the term pass?

Because they apply their own criteria to the report to see if you are disqualified or not.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i also thought checks were for only last 10 years?

 

[Noodley]

i also thought checks were for only last 10 years?

Not the checks in my job - life history. Enhanced Disclosure.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

this guys still a nurse.wtf?

http://www.nmc-uk.org/(aalqdy55otygukjfdmelotnj)/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=3252&Keyword=standards

 

[Jonathan M]

sorry, but all nurses have to pass an enhanced crb. surely WHEN she gets convicted she will be a criminal. criminals cannot under any circumstances be registered nurses, or am i wrong? if i am why do student nurses have to pass a crb?

Yes, but I've not had a CRB done since 1996 - when I last changed hopsitals, and they were not even called CRB then, they were "police checks". This is one reason why orgnaisations like the NMC, the General Teaching Council, etc have to be informed of convictions & cautions, a persons CRB is not automatically refreshed or reported, and not all convictions & cautions need to be reported - although nearly all are. The point is that a nurse must adhere to the Code ( http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=3056 you may as well read it now while you are joing the job, you training uni will just thump it into you anyway). The CRB check merely ensures that the person applying does not have a reason to be refused - example a caution for an indecent exposure (bloke having a piss on the way home from a night out) would pretty much be refused on any nurse training course in the country, and would be reported to the NMC. This is why a nurse is significantly more likely to be removed from the register following a misdemeanour that wouldn't effect Joe Publics job.

So while people who have prior convictions may not be suitable for certain jobs, one issue is whether a previous conviction would place the public at risk, or whether the person would not be suitable to "uphold the reputation of your profession " (NMC Code 2008). The fact that the nurse in question in this thread was on duty at the time of the incident really, really goes against her as far as the NMC are concerned, as the incident has occured outside one of her clients homes, and assuming she was in uniform, then members of the public will have seen her being breath tested and removed in a police car. Most definately not upholding the reputation of the profession.

this guys still a nurse.wtf?

http://www.nmc-uk.org/(aalqdy55otygukjfdmelotnj)/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=3252&Keyword=standards

A five year warning from the NMC is as good as loosing your registration. He won't ever be considered for promotion, and is unemployable if he chooses to change jobs. It is highly likely that his employer has already sacked him, as some contracts follow the Code in terms of professional behaviour. Any further caution or conviction and he will be struck off with very little need for the NMC to discuss it.
Good luck with your training! Don't forget it never stops!