.png)
There have been concerns raised about members of the public claiming to be 'nurses' and giving out false information about COVID Vaccines in the UK.
'Registered nurses' in the UK currently have the obligation to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council before being able to practise.
However, this has not been deemed enough as the title 'nurse' has no protection in the eyes of the law.
Brent Central MP Ms Butler said: “Our amazing registered nurses have been on the frontline during the pandemic, as they always are.
“They protect us every day, so we must protect and value them and their profession too''.
“This change will safeguard patient safety by preventing harmful misinformation, for example from people who may have been struck off or who are not qualified nurses.”
She added: “This pandemic has shown us that it is vital that we give nurses the respect they deserve.”
Professor Alison Leary, chair of Healthcare and Workforce Modelling at London South Bank University, argues that protecting a nurse's title is important to create “absolute clarity” about the medical professionals who are treating patients, and to make sure patients were getting good care.
Professor Leary also emphasis the importance of nurses as they have a distinct ability to vigilantly notice the signs that someone is getting sick and manage care accordingly.
Professor Leary described nurses as the “air traffic controllers of healthcare”.
Therefore, the Professor concludes that ''if you don’t have people with the right qualifications and experience then catastrophic things happen to patients.”
In a bid to keep all patients safe, a petition to make 'nurse' a protected title in law has been opened on Parliament’s website by Professor Leary, and has been signed by more than 29,000 people.
Health minister Edward Argar states: “The Department (of Health and Social Care) has begun discussions with the professional regulators to explore the issue of protected titles as part of the ongoing Government review of professional regulation''.
''We will consider the protection of title offences relating to registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates when bringing forward reform of the NMC’s legal framework.”
Take a look at the ongoing petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/587939