MY TEN TIPS FOR NEW RECRUITS

1. DO WEAR close-toed, comfortable shoes that do not make a noise. You don’t want to be squeaking, clomping or clack-clacking your way about the place. 2. ARMS must be bare from the elbows down when you are working on the wards. 3. BE SCRUPULOUS about sanitising your hands at the gel pumps when you are moving around the hospital. 4. ALWAYS seek permission from a member of staff before doing anything you haven’t been asked to do. 5. REMEMBER that you are in the midst of the unwell; people who are at their most vulnerable. They might not always respond positively to your cheery smile and Florence Nightingale ministrations. 6. KEEP any fresh theories on how the NHS should be run to yourself. 7. DON’T advise a brain surgeon on the latest craniotomy techniques. 8. ASK before you move that wheelchair. 9. SEEK clarity about a patient’s condition before you approach them. 10. ALWAYS be reliable. If you commit, make sure you turn up. The hospital is relying on you.