Fighting for the wellbeing of our nursing staff

Nursing Support Workers’ Day – created by the RCN four years ago – has become a truly wonderful celebration of the hundreds of thousands of nursing staff who contribute so much to the health and wellbeing of the UK. Yesterday once again, we saw countless employers, organisations, celebrities and members of the public taking the opportunity to celebrate the work our wonderful colleagues.  

I had the pleasure of speaking at our first Nursing Support Workers’ Day Conference at RCN HQ in London yesterday. What an incredibly inspirational day it was. We were joined by nursing support workers from around the country, including actor, author and carer Dan Peacock, who spoke about his work in an award-winning Hastings Court Care Home in East Sussex.  

Of course, it’s so important to recognise the contributions of nursing support workers all year round, so do make sure you take the time to thank the nursing support workers you know and work alongside. 

We know that so many of you are still dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly the impact of long COVID. That’s why we’ve written to the Westminster government to demand that long COVID is classed as an occupational disease for health care workers. 

More than 50 countries worldwide already provide formal legal recognition for key workers who contracted COVID-19 as a result of workplace exposure and offer corresponding compensation and support schemes. And the UK government’s own scientific advisory board  
has recommended that five specific conditions, resulting from complications of COVID-19, should be prescribed as an occupational disease for those who work in health and social care. 
 
We are also witnessing a growing mental health crisis among nursing staff, caused by stressful work environments, excessive workloads and staffing shortages. Today we have reported a significant and hugely concerning rise in nursing staff telling us that they’re having suicidal thoughts.  

We're always here to support our members. 

Our lines are open 365-days-a year, and you can find lots of useful information – including resources to help manage stress and advice on wellbeing - on our website. 

Please – take care of yourselves and each other. And don't hesitate to reach out for help.