Planned Parenthood, Women's Health Issues, Nurses could rule the US

[Karen]

With more than 3,000,000 nurses, yes that is 3 MILLION PLUS nurses in the US why aren't we ruling? Just think if every nurse emailed their representatives in government and told them to stop trying to block access to contraceptives, sexual education, and attempting to squash Planned Parenthood. Or donated 1, 10, or 100 dollars to the ANA PAC? Nurses votes ALONE could determine who is President. Even more important nurses can play a huge role in local politics, what are a few deciding for all at local school board meetings?

Doesn't it bother anyone else that the whole health care system was set up to benefit Drs and Hospitals, nurses were put in the bed charge because at the time when insurance companies and hospitals were developing nurses didn't matter and had no power. Why nursing care is not paid for directly (which would also make nursing the most revenue producer in a hospital rather than a revenue drain) Why chronic disease management by RN's is not reimburseable even though research shows its extremely effective. Blah blah blah, honestly after going on 27 years in nursing I feel like nothing has changed at all. Isn't it time we had a revolution?

[alpha omega]

we need to commit to a public health campaign against obesity with the same feroicity summoned to the anti-smoking movement. .

[color=#2d2d2d]totally agree. but i think obesity will always be harder to combat than smoking because nobody actually needs to smoke, but eating is a necessary activity. in my experience, doing anything in moderation is harder than quitting outright. doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, however. also, the shock-style used in antismoking campains with the people who have disfiguring trachs and amputations are not appropriate for the obese population. ads would have to tread very lightly the thin line between “lose weight to be healthy” that health care wants to promote and “lose weight to be acceptable and loved” that madison avenue wants to promote.

[alpha omega]

it is easier for people to go on and on about who is going to pay for birth control pills when they do not look at "who is going to pay for health, housing, food, etc" for this child when/if mom or mom/dad are not responsible or unable to.

[color=#2d2d2d]and back to the hhs mandate and the "who will pay for all the unwanted children" argument. birth control is already free (under title x) to very cheap. if people aren't using it now, what makes you think they'll use it just because the mandate goes through? this is a first amendment issue.

[Nursecathy123ca]

agree Suebee regarding it is easier for people to go on and on about who is going to pay for birth control pills when they do not look at "who is going to pay for health, housing, food, etc" for this child when/if mom or mom/dad are not responsible or unable to.

As for obesity, well that is another issue in itself. I cannot blame it on junk food. I do believe that NO JUNK food allowed to be sold in schools. Being obese is all about controlling what one puts in their mouth. I do not ever recall purchasing anything that I saw advertised on t.v.

And research has shown that, especially for children, it isn't just the food they eat that contributes to obesity; it is very much the lack of activity. We just are not as active a society as we were 50 years ago. So much is automated now that used to be more labor-intensive. Kids don't run and play all day Saturday like we used to do. They slop out in front of a screen (TV, computer, X-Box). And there is a tendency to munch while being passively entertained. We have to get our society active again. More activity and better eating habits have to be built into our daily lives. Take the stairs, walk more, play outside, sit down with the family for dinner. Easy to say--I'm still working on it!

[Nursecathy123ca]

Subee, you are right about advertising of worthless food. I don't think it affects us immediately, but repetition of a message usually works whether or not we want it to! Let's face it: broccoli just doesn't have as good an advertising firm as Cheetos!

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

AO: I don't think Needshaldol was responding to HHS issues - just venting about all the money we are spending now for casual childbearing.

[haldolkills]

I am very much against abortions. I don't believe in any kind of euthanasia. It is sad to see babies being euthanized simply because they are not of a certain age just like some elders are euthanized because they are also not in the right age group and people who are labeled as terminal even if they are not.It does not matter if they are or are not terminal. Euthanasia of any kind must be stopped.People should not be able to take lives especially in the medical field. Save that for the murderers.The medical professionals are here to heal and save lives and they have absolutely no business taking anyone's life. It is just horrible and very wrong and should be illegal and the law needs to be enforced for all euthanasia.

[tewdles, RN]

I am not certain that I am aware of any elderly that have been euthanized, with or without a "terminal" diagnosis in my years of nursing experience. I have, however, participated many times, in allowing the elderly to die gracefully from their diseases or illnesses without curative or aggressive intervention to prolong the process. THAT is NOT euthanasia.

[nicurn001]

My guess is Haldolkills has no experience as either a nursing or medical professional , but has an axe to grind re.euthanasia .

If Haldolkills had experience as a healthcare professional they would have seen the extrmis some terminally patients reach ,because some family member thinks like this , nice ,but they are not the one who suffers due to this callous disregard for the patients suffering .

While I do not condone euthanasia , I do believe the patient has the right to die in the manner of their choice .

[MunoRN, RN]

I am very much against abortions. I don't believe in any kind of euthanasia. It is sad to see babies being euthanized simply because they are not of a certain age just like some elders are euthanized because they are also not in the right age group and people who are labeled as terminal even if they are not.It does not matter if they are or are not terminal. Euthanasia of any kind must be stopped.People should not be able to take lives especially in the medical field. Save that for the murderers.The medical professionals are here to heal and save lives and they have absolutely no business taking anyone's life. It is just horrible and very wrong and should be illegal and the law needs to be enforced for all euthanasia.

While you obviously feel very strongly, although I don't think I'm the only one who isn't completely clear on what you are talking about, perhaps you could clarify?

[Nursecathy123ca]

It is my theory that euthanasia is never needed. If an ill person just refuses medical care, he will die fairly quickly. For example, my elderly home health patients with pneumonia would go to the hospital, get IV fluids and antibiotics, go to rehab, then come home. If they had let nature take its course, the pneumonia would have brought their lives to an end fairly quickly. And with supportive care, such as hospice, their last days would have been peaceful.

We as a society need to rethink the amount of medical intervention needed and wanted at the end of life.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

It is my theory that euthanasia is never needed. If an ill person just refuses medical care, he will die fairly quickly.

*** Ya, _IF_ we allow them to refuse, wich we very often do not. One of the more common enthical delimas I face is providing treatments and interventions I have reason to belive my patient does not want, but that thier family does.

We as a society need to rethink the amount of medical intervention needed and wanted at the end of life.

*** Spot on!

[nicurn001]

We as a society need to rethink the amount of medical intervention needed and wanted at the end of life.

Agree with you entirely . It should be the patient who sets the level of care and when care should be withdrawn , hopefully they would have made their decision clear whilst they were mentally able to make their wishes known .