Obama assists at St. Louis hospital

Nurses General Nursing

Published

st. louis, june 10 (upi) -- presumptive democratic presidential nominee sen. [color=#224455]barack obama, d-ill., assisted nursing staff tuesday at a st. louis hospital as part of a tour.

obama spent about 90 minutes assisting nurse kate marzluf at barnes-jewish hospital while she cared for five patients in the hospital's cardiology unit. all of the patients had agreed in advance to allow obama to help with their care, the st. louis post-dispatch reported tuesday.

reporters and hospital officials looked on as obama got to work about 7 a.m., taking off his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves. his work is part of a two-week tour of workplaces entitled "change that works for you."

Kiringat

239 Posts

Specializes in Acute Care.

Wow. 90 minutes. What a hero. :rolleyes:

P_RN, ADN, RN

6,011 Posts

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

I didn't know he was a Nurse. I thought he was a lawyer?

miko014

672 Posts

Yeah, right. Sorry, but there is no way that would actually show him what a nurse does. Someone (forget who, maybe John Kerry) did the same thing a few years back. Everyone said he "worked as a nurse for a day". Turned out that they had him follow a CNA for a few hours. Yep, exact same thing!!!!! Still, I have to give him props for pretending to be interested...

Simplepleasures

1,355 Posts

Hmmm, think John McCain would've even considered this?

SharonH, RN

2,144 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
Wow. 90 minutes. What a hero. :rolleyes:

Yes, that was heroic of him. He didn't have to do that much. Good for him for at least trying to get down on the ground and see what is happening, that puts him head and shoulders above his opponent and the guy he will (hopefully) be replacing.

djc1981

208 Posts

Specializes in ER/OR.

90 minutes is better than 0 minutes...exactly the amount of time mccain showed interest in nurses.

suzy253, RN

3,815 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.
:yeah:

molse001

230 Posts

Specializes in none.

I think it was nice of him to see what life is like from a nursing perspective; however Hillary Clinton did the same exact thing. I believe he is following in another person's foot steps. Does anyone know what his policy of universal healthcare he is advocating is all about?? Won't that hurt the medical community??

leslie :-D

11,191 Posts

i wonder if they decreased the nurse's assignment, making it look completely doable and even cushy.

wouldn't doubt it.

leslie

missjennmb

932 Posts

I don't think that we should criticize him or Clinton or any elected official for shadowing a blue collar worker. We are the people they are elected to represent and lets face it, most of the people we elect have no idea what a day in our lives is even remotely like. Sure its not going to be complete with our bad days and vomit on the shoes and all that, but atleast its a glimpse.

Why is it bad that he's not the first one who thought of it? I think every single elected official in Washington should have to spend a month shadowing "the common (wo)man".

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