Working on a small island can make health employees think twice before speaking out, a senior union leader told officials during a recent visit.
Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, met with union members, Health Department officials and the Health Minister during her two-day visit – with whistleblowing and pay among the other topics raised.
She explained that one feature of working in a relatively small jurisdiction was that it could make workers hesitate before raising concerns.
Prof Ranger said: “The fact that people know each other well can be a real positive in some respects, but when everyone knows everyone and who’s related to who, it can make people hesitate before speaking up, and that’s something I spoke to the [Health] leadership team about.
“It’s essential that nurses can pass on their concerns and my sense was that management understood this.”
But, in contrast to many of the discussions with UK-based members of the RCN, Prof Ranger said salary levels had not featured as the number one concern for nurses in Jersey.
“Pay isn’t the dominant factor here and the impression I’ve gained is that in general our members feel they are fairly rewarded and their skills are recognised,” she said.
“I wish that recognition was seen more often in the UK.”
Making sure there are enough staff with the right skill levels in all healthcare settings had been another important topic during the discussions, Prof Ranger added.
She highlighted the programme for training “home-grown” nurses as important to ensuring the island had a sustainable workforce – but also recognised the contribution of those nurses who had moved to Jersey from the UK and further afield.