Dear List
Sharon brings up an interesting point. I went into nursing thinking I would work in care of the elderly...most OH practitioners I know came much later to OH and had to be very determined to get into the speciality. Both Lucy and I self funded the M Med Sc (as it was) at the University of Birmingham. That meant being without work for a year, except holidays and weekends...
There seem to be a fair smattering of ex theatre, ITU and A&E nurses. Perhaps it appeals to those who don't like the
ward environment. I know that I, like Amanda , was very happy to see the back of night shifts.
I actually came in after having been inspired by working as a Safety Rep for the RCN in a hospital.This gave me an insight into the problems, and also made me come into contact with OH advisors, who I still today consider as my mentors.
Co-incidentally I developed a Type 1 immediate sensitivity to latex so "selected myself out" of areas of nursing where I would need to use gloves.(I didn't know I had selected myself out until I studied OH)
I recently became SCPHN-OH , by portfolio migration, almost 30 years to the day after started my nurse traning...
Do you need to be a nurse to be an OHA? I think it is very useful. I look with interest at mental health nurses becoming OH Advisors, and hope that they do not get confined to only dealing with the "stress " cases and mental health issues. But then my BSc Biology is useful too, as is a great deal of philosophy and religion I have been exposed to. Perhaps I will be Devil's advocate and suggests one of the pre requisites for the expert practitioner is to have reached a certain age (30, 35?) so you have life experience...
Cheers
Diane
PS I too, think Frank makes a good point about courtesy and debate on the list.
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