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Bupa Hospital managers go 'back to the floor' for nurses day 12 May 2003 Bupa hospitals' managers across the country are marking International Nurses Day, 12 May, in an unprecedented fashion. For one day they are swapping their suits for theatre scrubs and modern-day nurses uniforms as they go 'back to the floor' to where their careers began. Hospital general managers and Head Office staff alike will be caring for patients having surgery, spending time in the anaesthetic department, operating room and recovery suite. The team who will be at various hospitals across Bupa's 34-strong network will also support the surgeons and anaesthetists throughout the day. Many of the managers making their way back to the start of their nursing careers earned as little as £30 a month when they first qualified. Nursing was very different in their early years in the profession. "I remember sewing swabs, re-powdering gloves to be used again and even cutting up a nylon shirt to use in vascular surgery!" recalls Louise Walker who is now marketing manager at Bupa Methley Park Hospital near Leeds. Some years later nursing looks very different. "The profession has really evolved in recent times. One of the biggest differences is how nurses now work alongside consultants. Gone are the days when nurses would spend hours preparing for a consultant's ward rounds. Nurses now are part of a multi-disciplinary team involved in planning, delivering and monitoring patient care," says head of nursing Jan Clement, who was the first Bupa Hospitals' manager to volunteer to go 'back to the floor'. Jan began her Bupa Hospitals career as theatre manager in the Cardiff hospital. This day is made possible as all those staff involved have maintained their professional registration. The staff taking part in the day are all very passionate about their profession. This is matched by a shared passion for partying. Reflecting on his time training as a nurse: "We worked hard but we also played hard! Being an "angel" had its advantages - we used to get into clubs for free!" says Simon Harrison, general manager at Bupa Hospital Hull and East Hospital. "The training and technology available to nurses now is one of the biggest change for me. Some of the new technology is so impressive, I sometimes wonder how patients ever survived without it!", continues Simon. Healthcare has seen many changes over recent years. Alison Da Silva, general manager at Bupa North Cheshire Hospital explains one of the biggest differences for her: "The shift to daycare surgery and the advances in medical technology enabling this move is very impressive. Cataract surgery used to take an hour and patients would be in for over a week. Now it is possible to perform the operation in about 15 minutes and as a day case." says Alison. Each manager taking part in the day has very different background and experiences from the next. Clinical services manager at Bupa Hospital Leicester illustrates just this point. There aren't many Bupa Hospitals staff who have asked over one hundred people at a conference in Jerusalem whether they had checked their balls recently? Of course, Sue's cheeky question masked a far more serious message. She was in fact delivering a speech on the subject of testicular cancer and self-examination. The balls she referred to were footballs, cricket and rugby balls on the front of the health information leaflet that she designed on this subject and posing this very question. If a testicular lump is discovered, investigated and diagnosed early, men have a 95 per cent chance of being cured of the disease. International Nurses Day is also the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birthday and is celebrated all around the world. Nine of Bupa Hospitals' senior managers will make their way back to one of the company's 34 hospitals.
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