Britain: Wanted -- nurses with compassion

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LONDON, May 16 (UPI) -- The new head of the training of nurses in Britain said nursing is more about caring than curing and nurses should be recruited for their compassion.

Keith Pearson, who is scheduled to become the chairman of the Health Education England next month, said he would tell the Royal College of Nursing that in light of several "unacceptable instances of poor care where vulnerable patients were left in a distressing state," nurses should be hired for their personal "values," the Daily Telegraph reported.

For example, a patient diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer was unable to ask for help to go to the lavatory "because he was so dehydrated he could not speak properly," yet was discharged with insufficient painkillers, which "he was not unable to swallow," Pearson said.

Pearson said such cases occurred too often and "eat away at the reputation" of the nursing profession.

"Universities and employers need to do more work to make sure that current and future staff, not only have the relevant academic qualifications, but also the compassionate values needed to provide patient centered, dignified care," Pearson said he would tell the nurses.