28 PROFESSIONAL
Nurses need a louder voice in politics
MP and nurse Ann Keen this year became the fi rstever nurse advisor to a political party . Here she talks about why it ’ s important that nurses make themselves heard
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When I was selected as a Labour Party candidate at the 1987 election , the cleaner in the nursing school I worked in said to me : ‘ Ann , the director of nurse education has asked me to keep the contents of your wastepaper bin for him to go through to see if you ’ re doing anything political .’ The director himself then told me I was a disgrace to the profession because I was standing as an MP .
Putting that reaction aside , the Government has a lot to learn and gain from listening to nurses .
Nurses see the impact of policy every day in our work . We see people in poverty , families struggling to support children and the impact of public health cuts on real people . Whether a practice nurse , district nurse , health visitor or midwife , you can ’ t imagine the health service without us . It wouldn ’ t be functional . And yet , nurses are not always listened to , nor are they always supported in speaking up . The voice of nursing in politics still has a long way to go . Nurses must speak up for themselves too but it ’ s not always easy . If you ever use the self-effacing phrase ‘ I ’ m just a nurse ’, how do you expect people to take you seriously ?
The nurse is at the centre of everything – observing quality , patient care , family care , legal care and students . You ’ ve got to be strong to be a nurse . But you ’ ve also got to be confi dent that you ’ re going to be supported – and , sadly , nurses who are strong and challenge the way things are run don ’ t always get the support they deserve .
As a nurse advisor to shadow health and care secretary Jonathan Ashworth – the fi rst appointment of its kind – I am trying to amplify the voice of our profession within politics . Doctors are currently louder than nurses , listened to more and given more seats at the table , and that needs to change . I passionately want to educate nurses about the politics of nursing , which is what I hope to achieve in this role following my appointment this summer . I ’ ll aim to engage with nurses , attend conferences and spark debate .
I want to ensure nurses ’ point of view is heard within the Labour Party and throughout politics more widely .
Ann Keen is a registered nurse and a specialist practitioner in district nursing , and nursing advisor to shadow health and social care secretary Jonathan Ashworth . She was the first nurse to become a government minister , as parliamentary undersecretary of state for the health service , 2007-2010 , and was Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth , 1997-2010
Nurses who are strong and challenge the way things are run don ’ t always get support nursinginpractice . com Winter 2021