"Disheartened nurses after Channel 4 Dispatches"

After watching Channel 4 Dispatches (Confessions of a nurse), myself and other members of our nursing team were disheartened.

The program seemed to show us in a bad light, suggesting that all nurses are responsible for poor standards of patients care. We feel the real truth lies with budgets and government targets.

On a daily basis we are short staffed, not a fault of our trust as agency shifts are not being filled and unforseen sickness occurs. Patient care is obviously compromised which upsets us a graet deal.

We didn't become nurses to treat patients poorly, we try our best with what resources we have but it never seems good enough for some patients and their relatives. We often work solidly for eight hours without a break, let alone even five minutes to have a drink.

We all understood that nursing was a physically and mentally demanding job when we signed up for it. At this present moment it's gone beyond that, we are exhausted to the point of going off sick as we're plain and simply burnt out. Answers on a postcard please.