State Enrolled Assistant Nurses Association - When?

[Mick B]

There were between 300 and 800 enrolled nurses a month accepted to the roll after the roll was opened in March 1944, (some sources say July 1944) and before examination, it is quite difficult to find numbers but there were around 17,000 State Enrolled Assistant Nurses in England and Wales at 31st March, 1952 (there is no significance to that date).

The first Training Schools for Assistant Nurses, were approved and accepted in February 1945, of interest here is that they were in Essex which would suggest they were quite progressive. These were St. Margaret's Hospital, Epping ; St. John's Hospital, Chelmsford ; St. Andrew's Hospital, Billericay; and Orsett Lodge Hospital, Grays.

It was accepted that there were many Red Cross, auxiliary, and Assistant Nurses very experienced in the practical nursing of the sick and wounded during the war years and it was left to the GNC to decide from the evidence produced who should go on to the roll.

I haven't been able to find the end of qualifying by experience rules so Will's post is very interesting, in the early 80's I worked with an ex-RAF medical assistant who told me he was accepted onto the roll, which would have been in the 70's. As an aside to this there were different qualifying periods and relaxation of the rules during the 1990's for conversion from EN to RN, this caused some muttering at the time, nothing new under the sun.

Mick

[Magpie]

As someone who taught on the conversion course I know that many were unhappy at having to do it. I always felt that the dynamics of the ward and dept teams were upset by the loss of good ENs.I know that many good ENs left nursing altogether as they did not want to change.As an employer in the private sector I had to use a lot of my training budget for conversion  courses and listen to the upsets of some staff who were perfectly happy in what they were doing. In my humble opinion I feel that nursing shot itself in the foot by doing this, many less academic people did and still do want to be nurses and the EN qualification allowed that. Now to be offered the role of a HCSW/ HCA does not have the same cachet to it. I remember standing up at a meeting for Educationalists at the RCN and saying this and being booed, not a very nice experience. I later taught and verified HCA courses but believe me travelling around assessing there was no common standard like the GNC. Apologies for the ramblings of an old person!

[Mick B]

That wasn't really a ramble, but a fair reflection.  It is interesting that in the UK some hospitals call their HCA's/HCSW's 'Nursing Assistants' same job same pay band different title. I can imagine it won't be long before someone suggests 'Assistant Nurse' and we are back full circle. As an aside if the Nursing Assistant and /or establishment allows NA's to be called nurses without correction I believe it is still illegal to pass yourself off as a nurse if your aren't on the register.

[wilfb]

Like magpie I worked with many excellent SEN's - in fact I would admit to having gained a considerable amount of my own practical experience from some of them. They had much to offer and offered much. Being boo'ed by educationists? Makes me wonder where they were educated?! And yes, that 'Nurse' title still stands I think - and so it should - it was a mechanism for protecting the public as well as acknowledging status. I think that it should have been more vigorously applied - perhaps it still should be. It would save splitting a lot of hairs....

Will.