Thursday, September 24, 2015

Why she was wearing that stethoscope

        So I wanted to address the controversy about what the two co-hosts on the view said about nurses. It's a day late and a dollar short, I know, but what do I do that isn't.  To be fair, I suspect the women didn't have a lot of experience with nurses and what they do all day. I also suspect they simply take turns on that show saying crazy things in the name of ratings.  ('"Look, aren't we all just opinionated and fearless here, or what?")  My guess is they draw straws or mascara wands or some such and short stick has to say something asinine.
         But, in order to help allay their oh so obvious ignorance of what nurses do all day. (FFS they referred to scrubs as a "costume" and did not realize nurses, along with respiratory techs and cnas, also wear stethoscopes.  Hell, I have two sets just for Feisty Pants.) I thought I would point out some very large and important differences between nurses and doctors. So here are just a few of them right off the top of my head:
1) Doctors get all the credit- Nurses do all the work.   This is not a slam against doctors. They are overworked and spend a lot of time poring over charts, writing orders, and trying to give and guide the best medical care they can.  But make no mistake, it is NURSES who get off their butts and give that care.  They spend all day with their patients, most of it on their feet. They see the results of the meds and treatments long before the doctors do.  As a result, they always make better diagnosticians than doctors do.   ALWAYS- and the good docs know this. If you are ever at a hospital that does not give nurses the respect they deserve- run don't walk to the nearest exit.  You are not getting quality care.
2)  Nurses tend to be more empathetic.  Doctors try and care but spend all day looking for the anomaly (medicine is a science of averages) and reading the charts.  Nurses, by spending more time with each patient, get to know them as human beings.  And nurses, like therapists and respiratory techs, are focused on maximizing care and potential. That may seem like a small difference but it is an amazing difference in healing as both a science and an art.  Docs are not going to hold your hair and help you get cleaned up if you are throwing up in reaction to the anesthesia.  Or bring you coffee because they know you have been up all night with your sick kid. The doc may have sympathy but the nurses get shit done. 
3) I have only ever had a nurse say anything rude to me once.  Many years ago.  And another nurse stepped in to fix that before it got out of hand. Doctors say stupid crap all the time. ALL. THE. TIME. I have a running list.  I am surprised I have never smacked a doctor. I have never had a nurse ask me if "anyone is really in there?" in reference to FP's personality or intelligence.  Never asked me if I would rather withhold care if she ever needed intubated (IN FRONT OF HER NO LESS).  Never tried to bully me for telling them no.  Once a doctor said this to me, "Gee, you seem to know your stuff medically with this kid. Ever think of being a nurse?" I said, "No, you could not pay me enough to kiss doctor's butts all day long."  (It was a hospital where they did not treat their nurses well)  After the doc left the room, the nurse high fived me.
4) Nurses save doctor's butts all the time.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard a nurse nicely say "but Doctor, this patient is allergic to this medication."  Or " doctor, do you think I should I ask  a respiratory tech to come take a listen to this patient breathe?" Or "doctor did you want me to (insert procedure said nurse knows full well needs to be done but doc hasn't thought of it yet)"   This is the nurse gently saving the doctor from making what could be a large mistake.  And a good doctor damn well knows it.
             Listen, none of this is meant as disrespect towards docs.  They perform great work and are vital to society.  But when the zombies rise, I want some nurses and cnas and therapists on my team, that way I KNOW we will all survive.

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