PROFESSIONAL CODE? Is it still valued?

I ask this question because I am struggling to understand why in the UK, many Health Professionals (HCP's), Nurses and Midwives in particular are insisting that their rights are being taken away by the Covid Vaccination Mandate.

40 years ago when I became a student nurse I had to undergo mandatory health checks, physical examinations, and have several vaccinations. It was not an issue. It was necessary for the profession I had chosen to enter.

In 1982 when I became a registrant with the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council ) I was made aware of expected code of professional conduct and accepted this. In fact everyone on the NMC register will have received a copy of this and as registrants have signed an agreement to abide and uphold this code.

So I am puzzled as to why some people are now ignoring, forgetting, overlooking their agreed professional responsibilities.

The code states , we should:

PRIORITISE PEOPLE

Photo.www.theguardian.com

That is :` always put people using or needing nursing or midwifery services first'

AND: `Act in the best interests of people (in our care) at all times'

We should: Preserve Safety

`Be aware of, and reduce as far as possible, any potential harm associated with your practice'

`keep to and promote recommended practice in relation to controlling and preventing infection'

`Take all reasonable personal precautions necessary to avoid any potential health risks to colleagues and people receiving care and the public'

I believe that this responsibility is non negotiable. It is part of being a registered professional nurse or midwife. So that barring a true medical exemption from covid vaccination, no registrant should be ignoring their own code and responsibilities to those in their care (and their colleagues).

BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR RIGHTS?

Many jobs have requirements that we have to meet in order to take on the mantle of the role. Many requirements relate to physicality and health. Indeed there was quite rightly outrage at the start of the pandemic when our NHS staff did not have appropriate protective clothing for treating patients with Covid.

And of course our amazing NHS teams worked above and beyond their call of duty to treat those patients and to endeavour to prevent cross infection within their hospital environments.

So why are some HCP's now insisting that their needs are greater than those in their care?

Does the elderly patient admitted with respiratory problems have the right ( or ability) to demand that they are not put at greater risk of infection by being treated by a Nurse or Doctor who has opted out of vaccination?

Does the woman in the throes of childbirth have the voice to insist that the midwife has been vaccinated and therefore does not pose a risk to her newborn who has no voice and no immunity to covid?

Does the colleague of unvaccinated HCP's have the right to decline to work alongside them?

I suspect the answer to all these is NO. Or at least it would be very difficult , even for someone well enough and assertive enough to do so. And even if they did, what would the outcome be? There may be no one else available, or no one with the right skills who is vaccinated. They may be bullied for speaking up about their concerns.

What is especially sad is that vaccination for HCP's has had to be mandated at all. Unless we have a genuine health exemption for the covid vaccination we as Registered HCP's should all be wanting to do whatever it takes to protect those in our care .

The NMC have the following statements for all registrants:

https://www.nmc.org.uk/news/coronavirus/vaccines/

Exercising your personal views appropriately

• We recognise that, like anyone else, those on our register have their own personal views on the Covid-19 vaccine.?As the Code sets out, all registered nursing and midwifery professionals have:a duty to act in a way that puts the interests of those using health and care services first and prioritises their care and safety, and
• a responsibility to uphold the reputation of their profession, so that people receiving care, other health and care professionals and the wider public, can have confidence in them.

In line with the Code, you should exercise your personal views appropriately - in a way which upholds professionalism and doesn’t cause upset or distress to others.Vaccines for health and care staff

The Code and our standards make clear that professionals have a responsibility to maintain their own level of health. And that they should take all reasonable personal precautions to avoid potential health risks to colleagues and people receiving care.?All nurses, midwives and nursing associates need to be confident that measures are in place where they work to manage any risk of transmission, and they need to take appropriate steps themselves to reduce risks and prioritise the safety of people in their care.

the key parts of their professional code : Do the patient no harm. Protect the patient, your colleagues and the public.

For forty years I have proudly upheld my professional code of conduct, raising patient safety concerns on several occasions. This current debate shows how little regard some registrants must have for professional standards and the NMC.