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BS: Here's to the nurses
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Subject: Here's to the nurses From: Mark Cohen Date: 16 Apr 00 - 06:09 AM I don't think this gets said often enough. I had surgery this past Monday (bilateral hernias -- definitely not recommended as a reason for a vacation) at my local community hospital. Fortunately, everything went well and I'm slowly healing. Now, my surgeon and anesthesiologist were excellent, but I have to give a special thank you to all the nurses, from the short stay unit to the OR to the recovery room to the surgical floor (my surgery was late in the day so I stayed overnight), all of whom helped me through this experience with as little pain and stress and discomfort as possible. I will be thanking them directly, but I'm sure there are nurses or friends/relatives of nurses here on the Mudcat, so I wanted to make this public statement of appreciation. Because of changes in the health care system here in the US, hospital nurses are taking care of sicker patients and working longer hours with less support than at any time in the recent past. I know it's the doctors who are called the healers, but when you're in the hospital and are sick or hurting or scared, it's the nurse who's there to help. Thanks, all of you. Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Billy the Bus Date: 16 Apr 00 - 06:26 AM Thoroughly endorse the above Mark. Our community has a couple of nurses, who do as good a job at diagnosis and "patch-ups" as most doctors. Serious cases are flown to hospital on the mainland. In recent years they've had (among other things) three suicides to contend with - one slashed wrists, two heads blown off. It must be damned rough, having to attend to that sort of thing, when you know the people well. Aroha - Sam on Stewart Island NZ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Little Neophyte Date: 16 Apr 00 - 07:27 AM Mark, I have always felt a nurse's work is kind of like a mother's job. I am not a nurse but I do work with many nurses and from what I have seen the saying is true...... 'Nurses are paid sh*t to clean up sh*t' For some unfortunate reason nurturing kind of professions seem to be underpaid. I am glad you had a good hospital experience. I am not even going to ask you how the food was. That is my department and I have learned not to ask. Take is easy, and be kind to your healing process. It usually takes longer than we think. Little Neo |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Micca Date: 16 Apr 00 - 09:08 AM yeah, Mark i second that, when I was in the Royal London last year the were WONDERFUL... even the ones who blood tested me every hour, night and day, for 3 days. They are badly paid for what they do but are the contact point most of the time between the patient and Health care and do the difficult bit of healing the parts medicine don't reach. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Mooh Date: 16 Apr 00 - 09:26 AM Right on Mark! Nurses I know are the salt of the earth. Few give so much of themselves for so little acknowledgement. In my part of the world they are underpayed and overworked too. Peace, Mooh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Apr 00 - 09:48 AM And from me, especially the student nurses and retired nurses who volunteer for Red Cross! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: catspaw49 Date: 16 Apr 00 - 10:03 AM I wouldn't know where to start. I have had some fine folks take care of me on my several trips to the hospital the past few years. The CCU and ICU staffs have always been some of the most wonderful people. Simply amazing. A great nurse can combine compassion and tenderness with a determined strictness to do what HAS to be done in a beautiful mosaic. The ones who have turned it into an art form are most special indeed and I guess I am amazed that so many have done so. And while we're at it, a nod too, to the other dedicated souls in the allied health occupations. Lots of them just view it as a job perhaps, but I know many personally (I'm married to a histologist) who, although often never seen by patients, are as dedicated to their work and to the patient as those on the front lines. Mark, glad you're doing OK and things are holding up, so to speak. Best to you my friend......Good thread! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Jon Freeman Date: 16 Apr 00 - 10:31 AM It's funny, I often see doctors and nurses getting recognition for the jobs they do but what about the others, physiotherapists, speach therapists etc? Jon (slightly biased as my mother was a physio and I know the work they do). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: catspaw49 Date: 16 Apr 00 - 11:24 AM Jon, that's what I meant when I referred to "Allied Health Occupations." I can't say enough good things about the PT's like your Mom and OT's and speech people who have done wondrous things for our son Tristan. And I guess I'll go ahead and put in a plug for some of the dedicated people behing the scenes who never see a patient, like my wife. Karen is a Histologist. She takes tissue samples such as biopsies and "chops the big chunks into little chunks," and then slices them 100 times thinner than tissue paper, and processes them through various staining techniques onto a slide showing the pathologists the cells and structure they need to see. A "super-tech" can complete about 80-90 cases per 8 hour shift. Karen, Mary, and Cheryl average OVER 300 cases per night, well above even the super-tech average! The nights they run less than that are times when the Docs have not done their job and gotten the specimens in late. Yeah, even the folks in the laundry deserve a round of applause. Not everyone in any field is committed to their work and more's the pity. But to all of those dedicated souls in health fields....my thanks. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Jeri Date: 16 Apr 00 - 11:58 AM My mom was hospitalized (for about 2 months) up until her death. She was in ICU until they felt she was stable, then moved to a "getting ready to move someplace else when patient and family figure out where" ward. Her nursing care in ICU was wonderful. In the other ward, it was horrible. This wasn't the nurses' fault - they were incredibly understaffed, and didn't have time to much that wasn't scheduled or didn't involve an emergency. There was a cleaning woman there who would do little things for my mom, like re-arrange her pillows, raise and lower her bed, and take the plastic stuff off her food. This meant all the world to my mom. For one thing, she hardly had an appetite, and if she didn't eat when the "gourmet" hospital meals were still hot, she didn't eat. The day my mom died, I went and found that woman, and told her what my mother had said about her - that she had done more to help than all the doctors and nurses on that ward. I know the nurses' were doing their best, and they wouldn't have put up with the pay and the understaffing if they didn't truly care. The difference between good and bad care from many patients' perspectives is compassion. It's a shame that often compassion is cast aside in the interest of "efficiency." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Jon Freeman Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:26 PM Sorry spaw, I must learn to slow down with my reading and managed to miss your first post completely. If I had head it, I would have been agreeing with you rather than phrasing my post the way I did. And yes, there are many others who do a valuable job. Jeri, my mother often felt that the level of care had decreased over the years and she was a big believer that simple kindness played an important part in the healing process. Although cuts and increased effieincy were issuse, the didn't think that was the sole cause. She felt that the focus on the training of nurses had switched too far towards medical traing at the expense of basic care. I think that the traning had switched more to degree courses and this attracted people of maybe brighter academically but in many cases more inclined to treat nursing as any other career and thinking more in terms of just drugs... I know she has also commented that she often found the poor auxilliary nurses who hadn't got the qualifications often turned out to be the most caring. Jon |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: katlaughing Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:37 PM I think things have changed a lot since I trained as a Nurses' Aid at 18 years old, then on to be an EMT a few years later. Then, the first person to care for and see the patient the most was the NA. We were responsible for a lot of things, including blood pressures, temps, bedpans, measurements of input and output, etc, etc, backrubs and more. We were trained in hospital by a superb nurse and in general, although we ran our legs off, we always had a bit of time for each patient to visit with them, hold their hand, etc. Long before hospice days and any formal training or, even knowledge of how to help people with transition, I worked on the terminal/holding ward. Some of the people who were dying from cancer, heart disease, etc; others were slowly recovering. A lot of them were very scared and lonely. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to an older charge nurse. Tiny, gray-haired, like a little bird, tough as nails, Miss Buck. One night she was giving us our assignments, I had about 10 patients, including a very wealthy, very scared woman recovering from heart problems, in a private room all alone. Miss Buck called us all back before we went to start our duties, reassigned all of my people but the wealthy woman to the other aides, then told me she wanted me to spend the evening with Mrs. X, holding her hand, listening, reading to her, etc., in short I was to give her comfort. I will never forget the very valuable lesson I learned that night in caring for that woman and the wisdom of Miss Buck's decision. Eventually Mrs. X, who'd had no desire to live, became better and left the hospital. I am convinced it was due in large part to the extra effort we all made to let her know someone cared. Mark, take care and get better! katlaughing |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: MMario Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:50 PM My admiration for people in the health and health related fields is enormous, especially for hose people involved in long term care and terminal care. I spent two summers working in the dietary deptartment for a hospital with an attached nursing home. Even in dietary, where we rarely ever SAW a patient, the emotional stress could be enormous, as you saw a particular diet shift from solids, to liquids, to next to non-existant, and then stop. I had it relatively easy, as I wasn only there for a few months at a time. My hat is off to those who not only perform their jobs, day in and day out, but remain careing and compassionate. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: BlueJay Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:55 PM As an RN, I don't know where to start, except to say THANKS to Mark, Spaw,and everyone else. Sometimes a little recognition makes it all worthwhile. Believe it or not, this happens frequently in person, especially since I live in a small town and already know many patients and their families. So this crosses over into my personal life as well. I especially appreciate the POSITIVE nature of this thread. It would be easy to start griping about long hours, dangerous understaffing and what managed care has done to health care, but I'll leave that to the experts in the Nursing Journals. In my experience, MOST people are grateful and understanding, and it's heartening to know that some patients remember their nurses after they go home. MANY THANKS, MADE MY DAY! BlueJay |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Little Neophyte Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:58 PM Maybe the focus on formal training for nurses has changed over the years, but I still believe the profession attracts the compassionate type person into the program and that is what is most important. And you are so right Catspaw about the allied health professionals. There are many health care workers who take a back stage kind of role yet their work is essential. These are caring individuals who are compassionate people dedicated to helping others. We just don't see them. I still can not say much about us administrative dietitians and the food we serve. I used to be one of those ladies who was in charge of the patient food service. And honestly, I can not explain why the food served turns out so lifeless, it just does. Little Neo |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: katlaughing Date: 16 Apr 00 - 01:03 PM That is so true, MMario. I also worked as an aide in a nursing home; fortunately I was young enough to noy realise my own mortality, but that did not lessen the sorrow of losing any patient, but esp. the favourites, nor lesson the anger I felt towards the relatives of people who'd been virtually *dumped* there, never to see their fmailies again. My children were pretty much the only ones who ever came to visit, though many of the residents had grandchildren. I write again, though, more because I had a another thought (uh-oh!) Often we get so used to signing off with certain words, that I don't think we think about what they really mean; you know the ole' "Have a nice day" syndrome? I am guilty of this, but this thread has made me think about how I often sign messages with "take care". In this thread we've spoken much about "caring". I am interested in the origin of the expression to "take care". I know it is probably derived from early warnings of "be ware", etc. I have decided, in my case, as I said to Mark to "take care", I mean, literally, to "take my care and concern for you and use to your best advantage." How about it? How do you sign off and what does it really mean? do you think about it much? Just curious. Thanks (really!) kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Little Neophyte Date: 16 Apr 00 - 01:50 PM Kat, I REALLY think a great deal about how I sign off a note before I do it. Most of the time I would like to write 'Love', but I don't always do that. Sometimes I think I may make the other person feel uncomforable if I do. Yet many times I am feeling a great deal of love when I write someone. Often I write 'Sincerely', because the words I expressed in the note/letter were thought out sincerely. I often write 'take care' because I am concerned about the person I am writing and I would like my thoughts of concern for that person to be carried with them. That they should never feel they walk alone; that someone is thinking about them. Well, I am glad you brought up this question kat. I am wondering how others feel about it too. Little Neo
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Jon Freeman Date: 16 Apr 00 - 02:05 PM I rarely read much into the way anybody signs off and outside of the "Yours Sincerly/Faithfully" endings required in formal letters, rarely bother to sign off with any more than my name. When I do, my "standards" tend to be "Regards" or "Best Wishes". Jon |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: katlaughing Date: 16 Apr 00 - 02:13 PM Thanks, Bonnie, I meant to clarify that I was speaking in general terms, as in the messages here. I know what you mean about the "love" one, too. When I sign "luvyakat", I DO mean it and have thought about it. When I am signing off to someone in a personal letter, email, message, etc. I do think carefully about it, too. Jon, I think those work well, too. Thanks, kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: catspaw49 Date: 16 Apr 00 - 02:20 PM Hey Blue Jay.....Glad to know about your professional side. Karen's best friend and roommate prior to our marriage has now been an ICU nurse for 20+ years and she is just wonderful. A very "matter of fact" personality with compassion. Its so hard to explain the quality that makes a great nurse. last year in ICU.......Her name was Rebecca and she was comforting and all that, but even in her 20's she possessed that hard edge that blends so oddly with compassion....Kind of a tough love thing. Very hard to explain, but that "tough love" is far more reassuring than any amount of "sympathy" or "cold professionalism".....Geeziz, I wish I could find the words to explain this. Anyway, I admire the good ones tremendously! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: katlaughing Date: 16 Apr 00 - 02:27 PM Spaw, I think the *hard edge* comes from those who are competent and feel confidence in themselves, which they pass on to their patients. So much of how a person fares has to do with their attitude and those of the people around them. If a nurse acts as though things are going to happen no matter what, her pts. feel the same way, too, as well as relief that someone else is in charge and taking some of the responsibility. So...taking a cue from politics, you could say they are "competent with compassion." Hey! They'd get my vote anyday!**BG** |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Melodeon Date: 16 Apr 00 - 03:38 PM Like Bluejay, I would also like to thank you all for the good things said about us nurses but I would also like to remind everyone what I tell my staff, I would not be able to do my job without the NA,s , the cleaners, the catering staff etc. because we are all a team and of equal value. Viv |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 16 Apr 00 - 06:42 PM I wrote a song after being in hospital for a knee operation a few years ago which seems to fit in here. It's on my website, with chords - but here are the words anyway:
The Chestnut Ward
In the Chestnut Ward,
And over in the distance, in a little pool of light,
And all around me sleeping are a bunch of broken men,
Old men who fought, so long ago,
Well, it's something like a prison camp,
But they're closing down the Chestnut Ward,
Well the ones who'd close the Chestnut ward,
In the Chestnut Ward,
And over in the distance, in a little pool of light, (And thank God for the National Health Service, in spite of all they've done to wreck it.)
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: katlaughing Date: 16 Apr 00 - 06:58 PM What a poignant song, Kevin. Thanks for sharing it, esp. in this thread. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Mark Cohen Date: 16 Apr 00 - 09:18 PM I'm rendered speechless by that song. I hope it's been recorded somewhere so I can here it. What a piece of work. Thanks for the good wishes, and I agree with everything that's been said about all the other health-related professions. I couldn't possibly do my job in the hospital or the office without *everybody* else -- pharmacists and pharmacy techs, laundry workers, social workers, OTs, PTs, electricians, nurses, receptionists, administrators (yes, even them), housekeepers (especially them), and on and on. And Neo, I was lucky: when I told them I was a vegetarian I got some nice edible dishes. Usually, though, it is pretty grim, and I don't know why. I have been at hospitals that do a good job with food, so I don't know what the problem is. Anyway, thanks again everybody for your good wishes. What a wonderful group this is! Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: alison Date: 17 Apr 00 - 02:16 AM As another RN, I've been a midwife for the last 10 years, I'd like to thank you all for your appreciation too. I remember many nights as a student nurse being on wards with "firm but compassionate " nurses... learnt a lot from those women just by watching & listening(something I think they miss out on with University training).. and I like to think that's how I turned out..... I spent last night in a nursery with 25 screaming babies, many crying mothers at the mercy of their hormones who "didn't have enough milk/ had way too much milk"... didn't stop all night...... but tonight they'll be 24 hours further on, and hopefully more settled and happier. I am tired after last night.. so this thread was a lovely one to find here..... thanks again slainte alison |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: GUEST,Mary Date: 17 Apr 00 - 10:25 AM And now a chorus of "The Rose of No Man's Land", the classic hymn to a Red Cross Nurse. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: katlaughing Date: 17 Apr 00 - 10:31 AM Thanks, Mary, beautiful words. Here's a link to the words in the DT |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: BlueJay Date: 17 Apr 00 - 03:41 PM Melodeon, and any other health care workers- I didn't mean to leave anyone out. We wouldn't exist without the other members of the team. Probably even have to include Doctors! I have a doctor, who, whenever someone dies, always says "God rest his/her soul". I'd like to know, is this an actual "Doctor's Order", and if so where do I get God to sign? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Sorcha Date: 17 Apr 00 - 05:30 PM On "The Bottom Line".........and all Gods bless all caring, concerned health care workers. I don't know what I would have done last year if it were not for Home Health Care and Hospice people!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Here's to the nurses From: Mark Cohen Date: 18 Apr 00 - 05:04 AM Alison, my daughter was delivered by a nurse-midwife, 5 years ago. Bless you. Mark |