Did Hillary really say nurses are glorified sitters ?..... No fact to support

JustMe · Mar 6, 2008

Just my :twocents: When Hillary was working on the Healthcare Reform committee that was initiated by President Clinton, one of the people working on that committee was Virginia Trotter Betts, RN who was the current president of the ANA. President Clinton was the first presidential candidate endorsed by the ANA--they had never endorsed a presidential candidate before Clinton. Virginia had also worked for Al Gore when he was a senator so she was very familiar with the ins and outs of Washington. I seriously doubt that Hillary said these disparaging things about nurses. Professional nursing associations have been a mainstay for the Clintons, besides the fact that his mother was a nurse.

Tina1968 · Mar 6, 2008

Hi, just wanted to add to this. I know a few months (maybe even a year) ago she made an effort to find out what it is like to spend the day in the life of a nurse. She actually spent several hours tailing an RN and has expressed great respect for nurses. I don't think she would ever put herself in such a position as to have an entire industry against her. No political candidate would make such an outrageous statement, especially against such a noble career. Most likely, this statement is nothing but a bad rumor!

RNgonewild · Mar 6, 2008

Hillary really should know better, wasn't her mother-in-law a nurse? If that's the case she sure should have heard an earful from her.

Ayvah, RN · Mar 6, 2008

Hillary really should know better, wasn't her mother-in-law a nurse? If that's the case she sure should have heard an earful from her.

Skim this thread - this is merely a rumor.

sinbad · Mar 6, 2008

I will tell you my expierence regarding the alleged statement. First if you are looking for a tape you won't find it. That would be destroyed. I remember when this alleged statement was made. Several co-workers said they saw her on tv. I was furious. How could she something that awful. All of us have worked hard to obtain our nursing degree. After hearing this I called the ANA. I was told the following: ""Oh well where did you hear that?", "Who told you that?'. Never once did they deny it. "Well what do you want her to do about it?" and "for your sake we suggest that you leave that alone". So what was that supposed to mean? As for myself I believe she said it.

Ayvah, RN · Mar 6, 2008

I will tell you my expierence regarding the alleged statement. First if you are looking for a tape you won't find it. That would be destroyed. I remember when this alleged statement was made. Several co-workers said they saw her on tv. I was furious. How could she something that awful. All of us have worked hard to obtain our nursing degree. After hearing this I called the ANA. I was told the following: ""Oh well where did you hear that?", "Who told you that?'. Never once did they deny it. "Well what do you want her to do about it?" and "for your sake we suggest that you leave that alone". So what was that supposed to mean? As for myself I believe she said it.

She said this on broadcasted TV and no one recorded it? No one has access to this? No one can recall which channel/time/date? No other newscasters saw this to comment on such a big statement? You honestly believe all evidence of publicly aired TV soundbyte was somehow destroyed?

People comment on TV shows here all the time, right after they see the comment. But, for some reason, no nurse on this board went to the boards to talk about this after it aired?

The media is all over even minor things that happen to big names. Some one would have made a public comment about this right after it happend, were it true. Ever think that maybe the ANA was asking for some support to what you were saying because people make unsubstantiated allegations all the time, and for them to do anything, they need evidence to show that it is true? Were I to go to them and say "Barack said that nurses salary should be halved" they would say the same thing to me that they said to you - "where did you hear that".

Please try to answer these questions as none of what you are saying makes sense to me.

Tina1968 · Mar 7, 2008

I just replyed last night to this. I was met with some resistence as far as "I needed to provide documentation on my claims." I just wanted to add to the conversation but was met with adversary instead. It has become clear to me that "others" are threatened and oppose the views of others. My mistake, thought this was a democratic forum.

EmmaG, RN · Mar 7, 2008

I just replyed last night to this. I was met with some resistence as far as "I needed to provide documentation on my claims." I just wanted to add to the conversation but was met with adversary instead. It has become clear to me that "others" are threatened and oppose the views of others. My mistake, thought this was a democratic forum.

This is the only other post you have on this account:

Hi, just wanted to add to this. I know a few months (maybe even a year) ago she made an effort to find out what it is like to spend the day in the life of a nurse. She actually spent several hours tailing an RN and has expressed great respect for nurses. I don't think she would ever put herself in such a position as to have an entire industry against her. No political candidate would make such an outrageous statement, especially against such a noble career. Most likely, this statement is nothing but a bad rumor!

No one told you to justify this post.

Someone did, however, ask "kathywithak" for a source for her post.

BTW, this is not a 'democratic forum'. It's privately owned and we are allowed to post here thanks to the graciousness (and hard work) of our host, Brian and his staff.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Mar 7, 2008

I could never be accused of being a Hillary fan. She didn't say it, as far as I can find. And, of course, I've looked. Believe me, THAT is a statement I would dearly love to hang around her neck.

It's a rumor. I'm confident of that.

~faith,

Timothy.

CaptGaston · Mar 7, 2008

OK people, I have done my searching. (sorry it took so long, back to school) I was told by the people I went to for this information that because it was said, or rumored back in 1993, the level of information of that type was limited in cyberspace, so it will remain a rumor with no substantiated documentation... so far.. But hey , if you put some hot sauce on that crow its not bad..... Never the less, if she felt that way then, people can change. maybe that is why she has done what she has as of late...:bowingpur

Warpster · Mar 7, 2008

I know that in her "It takes a village" speech that she referenced having nurses caring for sick chilren when mothers couldn't call in sick for work, but the cite is a very obscure one and certainly didn't equate nurses with baby sitters.

Remember, the operative word is "sick," not children.

This is just more right wingnuttery twisting a statement into a pretzel to turn it into a smear.

celeste7767 · Mar 10, 2008

I definitely remember Hilary making a derogatory remark regarding the nursing profession several years ago during the period in the 90's when hospitals were laying off RN's and lived to regret their decision when morbidity and mortality rates climbed as patients were cared for by those who had little knowledge of maintaining sterile fields, etc. I do not remember it being something that we read in print. I hate to attempt to paraphrase something that someone said when I can barely remember it myself. I only remember the substance of the comment was equivalent to saying that nurses don't have the education nor does their job require the intellectual requirements necessary that they should demand salaries in the range of MD's, lawyers, etc. It was during the time in the 1990's when there was a short-lived glut of nurses and they were being laid off and replaced by CNA's,LPN's, PCT'S in favor of the "bottom line". Hospitals (if not all their patients) lived to regret the err of their decision when mortality rates as well as morbidity rates increased with higher numbers of nosocomial infections and length of hospital stays. Unfortunately by the time the numbers were in, no one went back to Hilary to ask her opinion at that time. It is a darn shame when the people in charge of life and death of so many have to continually prove their worth to society.

:redpinkhe