"Dear Nurses: Please Forgive Me" : A Response

Nurses Relations

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This thread is not directed at any person in particular; it assumes the subject of the OP is a fictitious character. This is the response to the thread linked below, from a couple years ago which some of you may remember. It written from the opposite perspective -- the perspective of the innocent caregiver being abused by the example below.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/dear-nurses-please-789883.html

Dear adult child of dying patient,

You are not forgiven.

You say you know he's dying. You say you get it. You acknowledge that in spite of his inability to overcome his illness, and after all the attention and treatments he was given by his dutiful caregivers, he significantly exceeded all expectations you had of his remaining lifespan by three years. For reasons you don't know or fully understand, you have elected to be socially abusive and all but criminally assault the people trying to help him live. You have chosen to impact the lives of complete strangers in very hurtful, damaging ways.

You say you see the changes in his activity level and respiratory pattern, and you say you know exactly what those changes mean. You reinforce, over and over again, that you see it, and you know, and in in spite of you admitting that fact, over and over and over again, you continue to be rude, abusive, and cruel toward nurses, who to you are strangers struggling with their own lives, their own careers, their own families, their own finances, and perhaps their own dying parents. How dare you ask for forgiveness. You have no idea how much hurt you have caused.

You say your dysfunctional ways (your words) need to be understood; that you prefer to glare instead of cry, prefer to be a control freak instead of being helpless. What understanding do you think you deserve? Why should you be catered to? You have selfishly managed to make your father's dying process all about you, your needs, and your own inner turmoil and seething. You are extremely self-absorbed, and people like you are toxic. You have demanded that resources designed to make your father either healthier or more comfortable be diverted to placating your sick thinking. Interesting that you mention that you are guilt and fear laden. Could that be you don't love him and never have? You go on to mention that you were once laden with sociopathic tendencies. It shows.

It shows.

Forgive you please, your many sins? Get out of nursing. Get out of healthcare. Get out of this world.

(thoughts?)

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Try to see the fictitious letter of my OP as a reply from a staff nurse whose emotions are equally amped up as a result of abuse, if it helps you to cope. You're really missing the point of the thread. The voice of the reply I wrote belongs to a fictional nurse who just read the letter (addressed to no one real) that I linked in my OP. It is me emulating the voice of a nurse reading what the originator of that article wrote.

I repeat: this is a work of creative writing.

Emulating a nurse? Don't include me in your rant. Just think of a nurse that is hanging by a thread emotionally, having a bad day. Burned out. Your "Get out of this world" or however you said it, could very easily be a tipping point for them. Think before you post.

If you want to be creative, include a way to help a nurse with a family. Offer research based tips that help, not hinder.

This post is a jumbled gaggle of contradictions, all over the place. In one passage you've essentially rationalized why it's acceptable to be mad at nurses instead of MDs and god, while suggesting nurses shouldn't be doormats and martyrs. You also bring up countless unrelated personal experiences in every post in order to center the discussion around yourself. Your examples of behaving aggressively on streets have no bearing to our discussion when you're talking about toddlers being smacked. Overidentify a lot? You're dealing with issues; we get it. Why recant them here? Internet forums are not therapeutic venues. Having a lot of strangers give you cyber hugs for your stories will make you feel better today but they won't help in the long run.

Her examples aren't "overidentifying" as you put it, but instances for advocacy. Maybe you should hang out and browse and lurk before you come in guns a'blazin.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
This post is a jumbled gaggle of contradictions, all over the place. In one passage you've essentially rationalized why it's acceptable to be mad at nurses instead of MDs and god, while suggesting nurses shouldn't be doormats and martyrs. You also bring up countless unrelated personal experiences in every post in order to center the discussion around yourself. Your examples of behaving aggressively on streets have no bearing to our discussion when you're talking about toddlers being smacked. Overidentify a lot? You're dealing with issues; we get it. Why recant them here? Internet forums are not therapeutic venues. Having a lot of strangers give you cyber hugs for your stories will make you feel better today but they won't help in the long run.
Uhmmmmm...ok. Your abilities of being insightful render me speechless. Gaggle of contradictions...By gaggle you mean like cackling hens? Over identify...therapeutic venues...well...bless your heart.

If your intention is to fluster me or intimidate me....I don't intimidate. You like to tweak noses and start controversy....and that is ok by me. It's good for readership.

To each his own.

Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

As nurses we are supposed to be sensitive to the needs of others....including emotional needs. Remember those Psych classes you took? Not everyone copes with stressful situations in the same manner. Also, not all people deal with the insensitivities of the actions and words of others......both verbal and written.

When writing on this board, please consider the feelings of others with your words. I am not saying that everyone must agree. That day will NEVER come. But don't continue to rub salt in the emotional wounds of others.

Thread closed for a "Time Out" for all.

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