During these hard financial times, I have heard management repeatedly tell staff 'you are lucky to have a job'. Now whilst we appreciate we are indeed fortunate to have employment being told this repeatedly to control a bad working environment is in my opinion bullying, in truth they are getting away with during this period of hardship among our community.
What I find worrying is that this type of control which is being utilized during this time, will be difficult to overturn once things return to 'normality', because even the nurses who will speak their mind, stand up for what is right, support their less fortunate colleagues are now quiet and the silence is deafening.
Nurses work hard, we demand respect from our management, fellow employees, other members of the multi-disciplinary team, pts and family members, yet we struggle to actually achieve this.
Most nurses when questioned really just want respect and acknowledgement for a job well done and sometimes it seems we are swimming up stream to achieve any sort of recognition.
Throughout the years we have been labelled as 'Angels', 'Handmaidens', 'Battleaxes" and 'Whores' (nurse education today vol 4, pages 121-127) I dont know which one you are but I cannot relate to any of these labels.
I would see myself as provider of care, pill pusher, drug enabler, punching bag, furniture mover, phone sales person, scriber, pack horse, bed maker, family counciller, security guard, mind reader, housekeeper, but most of all Lucky to have a job!
