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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