A nurse to a certain degree With the reputation of the NHS under constant criticism, the government has brought in another controversial tactic to shake-up the NHS: the enforcement of all new nurses to have a degree level qualification by 2013.

The change is a desperate attempt to improve the quality of patient care and to raise the status of nurses who have been so poorly stigmatised as nothing more than ‘assistants’ to doctors. Health Minister (and a former nurse herself), Ann Keen, believes that the decision-making skills learnt in the degree will allow nurses to make high-level clinical judgements increasing the importance of their role in the NHS.

Critics have argued that the prospect of a long study period might throw off recruits not to mention bring in an elitist army of nurses who would find duties such as washing and feeding patients demeaning.

There are currently 400,000 nurses working round-the-clock; the government hopes the change will make the largest healthcare workforce in the country, more satisfied and productive.

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