The nurses' uniforms


Why does Kim wear a more tent-like blue uniform, and not the same uniform that Den wears? Is it to indicate that Den is Kim's supervisor?

Or is it that Den is a division one/registered nurse, and Kim is a division two/enrolled nurse?

Alternatively, is it just that they can choose whatever colour they like?

Also, why is Den referred to as "sister"? She doesn't seem to be a nun, as she is evidently occupied with trying to find a lover. I'm curious about that too.

I'm guessing that these things are cultural differences, and that's why I'm a little confused. Though my family is British, I have lived my whole life in Australia, and everyone here is a nurse. Calling us "sister" and "matron" just doesn't happen nowadays.

Thank you very much in advance to anyone able to shed some light so that I can enjoy this wonderful series even more.

Violet

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´

reply

A sister is what we call a female Clinical Leader (the proper term now there are more male nurses), they tend to wear a different uniform to show the seniority. I was quite surprised to see someone addressed as "matron", that title is only really used in nursing homes now.

Just a FYI, all three are Registered Nurses, we don't train Enrolled Nurses anymore, they have been replaced by Health Care Assistance.

reply

[deleted]

In the UK, a sister is the term used for the registered nurse in charge of the ward; a male equivalent is known as a charge nurse. The uniform worn by Den is what the ward sister wears (no choice). Kim is presumably a "staff nurse", that is a trained qualified registered nurse on a lower grade to the sister, and the uniform is colour-coded appropriately. In most psychiatric units the nurses don't wear uniforms.

The term "matron" was brought back in the 1980s (I think), before which the term "senior nursing officer" was used for the senior manager in charge of the nurses, who is also a registered nurse. There are usually other nursing officers at a lower level, but I'm not sure what they are called now. In the 1980s, at a time when the health service was under attack, especially for perceived poor hygiene, there was a cry from some for "Bring back matron!" - people who wanted a return to the old days when matrons used to be strict and bossy! In response to these reactionaries, the "modern matron" was introduced, with specific responsibilities for hygiene and cleanliness. Hence Hilary's obsessive concern with waste bins and other environmental procedures.

In a real-life hospital there are also healthcare assistants (HCAs), who are not trained nurses, and who do the heavy lifting, leaving the nurses to do paperwork! No care assistants were seen in Getting On, where Kim assumed the role of dogsbody as well as nurse, and only domestic assistants (cleaners) appeared on the ward apart from nursing staff.

reply

Thank you very much for your thorough response, Earwicker2. :)

The only thing I will add to your response is, if the term Matron is used, then wouldn't it be common sense to call male Matrons Patrons? ... In any case, I think that in Australia, the equivalent to a Matron is called a "NUM", Nursing Unit Manager.

Take care :)

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´

reply

As Tiggerama said, the term "matron" is probably confined now to the private sector, although the "modern matron" was invented in the 1980s (I think), and the reactionaries who wanted to "bring back Matron" would have wanted that term to be used. "Patron", of course, would suggest the person owned the hospital. Terms like "team leader" or "clinical leader" have doubtless replaced the old-fashioned terms (I don't work in the health service, and my husband, who worked in the NHS as a psychiatric nurse, is no longer in nursing). Jo Brand, who plays Kim and is the main writer, was a psychiatric nurse many years ago, before she became a comedian, but the TV series does reflect recent hospital practices and changes to the NHS (e.g. use of private services, replacement of trained nurses by HCAs...), so maybe some hospitals still have sisters and matrons. In Hilary's case, being called matron is clearly part of the play around his ambiguous sexuality.

reply

My wife works in a NHS trust hospital and is a ward sister, and is in charge of the staff nurses and health care assistants. Her line manager is the ward manager. At the trust that she works for there is a 'Matron', who oversees the nursing staff at all of the trust's hospitals.

As a sister my wife wears a dark blue uniform, which I think is fairly standard throughout the UK. It is more usual for nursing staff to wear trousers now and not the type of uniforms worn in this series.

reply

I think that in Australia, the equivalent to a Matron is called a "NUM", Nursing Unit Manager.


Lordy, I can just imagine the jokes here in America if a manager were called a "NUM".

reply