[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

Originally Posted by applescruffette

I tried to post a comment to her lovely article this morning, but I got an error message when posting. What a surprise.

Talking the talk without walking the walk, perhaps???

Guess she thought we'd be as guilible as the "civilians" reading her story?

[Whiskeytown]

I have kept an eye on this thread for a while. As many of you have said, no profession is above a "kick in the pants", and nursing is no exception. However, the writer expressed the same complaints and ridiculous assumptions that many in the general public have shown over the years. Now to me, I can tolerate the general public and their "complaints and demands" because many don't know about the medical field. Frankly, however it's not their job to know. So although it can be frustrating to deal with, like Chris Rock once said, "I aint saying its right, but I can understand".

This is an article about a RN who's daughter was having a medical issue. Not any ADN or BSN nurse, but a professor of nursing with an advanced education. I personally tire of hearing the excuse, as shown in this article, of "it's MY child" or "I'm just a concerned parent". At what point in society did it become acceptable to lose one's manners and dignity just because a loved one is ill? Seeing someone you care about suffer does not excuse rude and irrational behavior. If the author should be mad at anyone it should be herself. At the beginning of the article she stated that she observed her daughter being "pale and pouty". Which she herself described as out of character for her daughter. Ummm hello, can you say neuro change anyone? Those of us who actually have WORKED and PRACTICED in a critical care enviroment know that even a slight neuro change can be a precursor for major changes. Now granted, I readily admit that I'm making some harsh statements here, but not nearly as harsh as the statements and assumptions as she forced upon her "colleagues" in the ER.

It was amazing how the "stellar Nurse" Kristi came to the rescue with some morphine for her daughter. If only the mean old triage nurses had cared enough to give the child morphine. Oh wait, it takes a Doctor to prescribe morphine to a patient, never mind.

The kicker to this article is how this educator chose which nurse who daughter would have the "privilege" to work with her daughter. One of her criteria was saying "yea"or "nea" to certain nurses which she had known while in Nursing school.
How absolutely arrogant and judgmental is that? I don't know about anyone else here, but I can honestly say that I was probably not the most impressive nursing student in my class. However I can say that while attending nursing school I worked 36-48 hours a week as a nursing assistant, was married to a wife who was pregnant during my first year of my ADN program and had a baby to help take care of my second year, I was worried constantly about finances, pediatrician visits, a mortgage, and oh yea the mountain of papers and hours of lectures I was responsible for. Not to mention the 10-12 hours of clinicals per week that I had to prepare for and attend.

I at times struggled with certain concepts and skills. I was nervous, timid and stumbled with my thoughts and words. So needless to say, I was not that nursing student that bowled you over with a "nightingale" like persona.

That being said, I am now into my 3rd year as a CCU nurse and I can HONESTLY say that the care I have provided is as good, if not better than any nurse on my unit. It just took some time, some confidence and a lot of weight being lifted off my shoulders to get where I am now.

So for any "educator" to pass judgment on a nurse for his/her time in nursing school is horribly pathetic.

So much is wrong with this article and this author's attitude. I could go on for hours and hours....

[2nd career nurse]

Congratulations on overcoming all that you did to be the best nurse you could possibly be. Now, as for the "nurse educator", she has not responded to my email. Did not expect her to, but, WTH, I still wanted her to so I could see just how big or small her shoes were in case I wanted to wear them.

[bollweevil]

Originally Posted by Kati2005

"I wanted what I wanted and I wanted it right now. Bless their hearts, her nurses never yelled at me.”

So basically she acted like all other overly-demanding and rude family members who will do anything to get their way. Just another article by a nurse to make other nurses look bad. That's exactly why we are treated like dirt on a shoe.

Do you really think it was only about getting her way? Do you not hear her pain? Her fear? Her shame? Her shock at failing to know how sick her daughter really was? If we can't hear that, sense that in our patients and their loved ones, we are missing it. Sure, there are some, I guess, who think it's about getting their way.

But I think, mostly, if we go with the belief that we would probably be doing the exact same thing that our patients do, that is, do, out of love, fear, and anguish for our loved one's suffering, everything in our power to get what we thought we or our loved ones needs to survive and have pain relief, we do them and ourselves a favor.

[bollweevil]

Originally Posted by oramar

Bravo, sadly, academia is part of the problem. Really how can they understand when they have good pensions, weekends and holidays and evenings and nights off. If they want to schedule a vacation around a holiday no ones gives them a hard time, if they choose two weeks off together it is not a problem. A lot of times if there is a big snow storm classes are cancelled, even clinical on occasion. They also have lighter work loads in summer time when you and I are taking double assignments to make up for vacations. I will go easier on educators who work at the bedside but this woman is a PhD. They have a stake in perpetuating the present system and it shows.

As a former Instructor, I can honestly say that I had no pension, I made less than floor nurses, I had to have clinicals on the Evening shift, and, to keep current, I worked about half the holidays per year (including Christams and Thanksgiving), snow never closed us down, and I worked far more than I was paid for. Lectures had to be prepared, tests and care plans had to be graded, lots of paperwork was done, charts were studied so I could make clinical assignments, and I had to get to know staff so I could determine who was willing and able to take on a student and who was not able/willing.

As a mom, I can fully understand how an RN, even a teacher of Nursing, is only a mom when her own child is sick.

[morte]

Originally Posted by bollweevil

As a former Instructor, I can honestly say that I had no pension, I made less than floor nurses, I had to have clinicals on the Evening shift, and, to keep current, I worked about half the holidays per year (including Christams and Thanksgiving), snow never closed us down, and I worked far more than I was paid for. Lectures had to be prepared, tests and care plans had to be graded, lots of paperwork was done, charts were studied so I could make clinical assignments, and I had to get to know staff so I could determine who was willing and able to take on a student and who was not able/willing.

As a mom, I can fully understand how an RN, even a teacher of Nursing, is only a mom when her own child is sick.

i could stretch far enough to understand her ACTING this way, though i think a good part is guilt, BUT i can not accept/tolerate her writing the artcle.....she should have been mightily embarassed, not selfrighteously
pleased withe herself, i also think that the nurses who werent asked to care for this child, were the lucky ones

[Michigan RN]

Originally Posted by bollweevil

Do you really think it was only about getting her way? Do you not hear her pain? Her fear? Her shame? Her shock at failing to know how sick her daughter really was? If we can't hear that, sense that in our patients and their loved ones, we are missing it. Sure, there are some, I guess, who think it's about getting their way.

But I think, mostly, if we go with the belief that we would probably be doing the exact same thing that our patients do, that is, do, out of love, fear, and anguish for our loved one's suffering, everything in our power to get what we thought we or our loved ones needs to survive and have pain relief, we do them and ourselves a favor.

I'm not going to apologize for my opinion. Yes, I can understand where she is coming from.

[Altra]

Originally Posted by bollweevil

Do you really think it was only about getting her way? Do you not hear her pain? Her fear? Her shame? Her shock at failing to know how sick her daughter really was? If we can't hear that, sense that in our patients and their loved ones, we are missing it. Sure, there are some, I guess, who think it's about getting their way.

But I think, mostly, if we go with the belief that we would probably be doing the exact same thing that our patients do, that is, do, out of love, fear, and anguish for our loved one's suffering, everything in our power to get what we thought we or our loved ones needs to survive and have pain relief, we do them and ourselves a favor.

No, I'm sorry, I can't agree.

I have felt fear, shame, shock, anger, helplessness, and anguish at times in my life.

At no time have I ever had the remotest idea that any of those feelings would in any way excuse my behaving like a horse's behind, particularly in public.

I simply was not raised that way.

[bollweevil]

Originally Posted by MLOS

No, I'm sorry, I can't agree.

I have felt fear, shame, shock, anger, helplessness, and anguish at times in my life.

At no time have I ever had the remotest idea that any of those feelings would in any way excuse my behaving like a horse's behind, particularly in public.

I simply was not raised that way.

What did she actually do in public? This article sounds more like her thoughts and her experience than anything she actually did. I guess she moaned aloud about missing the DX and she refused to allow certain nurses to care for her girl. But there are plenty of times family make it known that they prefer this staff over that staff and they share their thoughts and feelings.

It doesn't sound like she cursed anyone or threw a fit or objects. I think she was just so traumatized that she is writing to vent. Her behavior sounds typical and not something to cause her embarrassment. Do we think she is disloyal to nurses? Is that the trouble?

[MAISY, RN-ER]

The general public do not understand the process of the ER, and of hospitalzation in America. I expect them to be frustrated with care in this quick paced McDonald's climate. It is up to us, the NURSES to educate them. Giving them realistic expectations while in the ER and on the floor.

My beef with this writer mainly stems from the fact that as a nurse, she has the insider information required to understand this reality. She should also know the process. If she doesn't, she shouldn't write about it. Her credentials and positions lend an air of credibility-if a nurse doesn't get it, how can we ever educate the public.

Advocacy is an important part of nursing, if she is not an advocate for her family member, then what type of advocate was she for patients?

How do you pick and choose from former students who are nurses-what makes her judge and jury. An A student may be a good book learner, but a terrible practioner.....and visa/versa. I also find that part disturbing.

I have problems with her generalization of the ER, what was going on-if she didn't know she should've asked and perhaps should follow the advice of others and shadow a nurse for a few days. Then she may have something of worth to say.

I guess my problem entirely lies with the fact that we need to place a positive spin on nursing, and as an educator she could have followed many paths to address the problem. The only viable one she found was criticizing her peers.

Disloyalty from a non-credible (but seen as credible due to letters(MSN)) source.

Maisy