Croweater

I am referring to nurses working in clinical areas where they need to be able to read accurately medication labels, syringe amounts that type of thing. For nurses unable to do this, then there is nursing education, ptient education, occ health, management etc where skills can be utilised. It is probably no different to a nurse with a bad back or some other type of physical restriction which precludes her/him from 'hands on' patient care.

Requiring 20/20 vision would exclude a good number of nurses already practising. However, patient safety is the first priority and if a nurse needs extra visual aids (apart from prescription glasses) to carry out her job she should not be in clinical practise.

Whatever the circumstances, it does not give the doctor the right to humiliate her in front of 15 other people. If he felt slighted, he should have met with her and the manager somewhere private and discussed the issue there. There are very few workplaces where that sort of behaviour is condoned and hospitals should not be any different.

Good for you. For too long, nurses have been on the receiving end of doctors' arrogance. For some reason, some doctors believe they have the right to abuse and denigrate nurses - it is workplace bullying and should not be tolerated. Shame on your manager for not supporting her staff.

Your analogy between your daughter's job at Starbucks and a busy nurse is bogus. Nursing staff are highly trained individuals with responsibilities which is could land them in court if they make an error. I doubt if your daughter would be sued for a dodgy cup of coffee. Times have changed from when I started nursing in the 1970s, patients are much older, sicker, technology has exploded, staffing numbers reduced - yet expectations of nursing staff has remained the same. Only now, families believe that the hospital is an extension of their home and the nurses exist to serve their needs as well with an increasing level of hostility towards nursing staff from families that was not so evident years ago. People are in hospital because they are ill and need treatment unavailable at home. Expecting a nurse to wait until their tv programme has finished and generally treating nursing staff as an interruption to their social media activity is a reflection of the lack of manners exhibited by many people these days.

Hospital visitors' behaviour reflects the deteriorating standard of manners and behaviour in society. There is a difference between the family member who acts inappropriately because of stress (and most nurses recognize this) and the visitor who is simply rude and believes a hospital is an extension of their home. I thought the article was humorous and accurate and perhaps in a few years time you may appreciate its jaded tone.

I think the crux of your dilemma is more that you have never been interested in nursing, so why pursue a career in this area? I have seen so many young nursing graduates who did nursing because they thought it 'something to do'. They are quickly disillusioned when the reality of having to do 'hands on' patient hits them. If you are keen to get a job within the medical field, why not look at other allied professions which don't require you to handle excrement, urine and vomit?

I have been nursing for over 40 years, have worked in several different countries, was a commissioned officer in the military and more recently a civilian nurse. I would like to think that it was the oppressive, patriarchal system which turns nurses into uncivil, unsupportive work colleagues and many years ago when I did Sociology I would have enthusiastically supported this theory. These days, I am much more cynical and simply believe it's because most nurses are women. Get a group of women together, whether it be nurses, mummy groups etc and the knives will be out. When I worked in male dominated environments, I very rarely experienced the same level of rudeness and ********** as when working with all women. I don't think nursing and nurses attitudes towards one another will ever change.

Thanks for answering re: OB course. I spoke with the New Hampshire nurses board who did not suggest any institutions who may be able to accommodate my requirements. I am loathe to have to spend thousands of dollars doing any sort of year long bridging course when the OB component is only 3 or 4 days of clinical. Any suggestions anyone? Much appreciated

I have just moved to New Hampshire having completed an RN degree in the UK. However, I cannot get licensed with the New Hampshire Nurses Board until I have completed the OB component. Does anyone know where I may be able to do this in New Hampshire? I am quite desperate as I would love to work here as an RN. (I am married to an American). Thanks for any suggestions.