Why are Nurses so highly praised?

Mr_Muffin wrote: »

1. Why guess? http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-nurse-in-the-hospital-front-line-371291.html.


2. Going by the sheer number of different jobs available in society these days (hundreds/thousands maybe?) I think it is safe to say that there are probably quite a few jobs out there that are tougher.

You're speculating. Fair enough. Couch it in those terms.

I saw enough of what nurses do when my mother went in to have her jaundice assessed, to when she was told she had 3 months to love, when she went through chemotherapy and whT palliative care nurses do; when my daughter was in Crumlin; when my Dad was in for an operation.

Even jusr basic things like when one poor old sod shít all over the bed and while the rest of the ward was gagging, the nurses cleaned him and the bed up with an exceptionally pleasant demeanour. I think he died overnight after all.

But then one day I had paper jam after paper jam with a printer so six of one...

I thought being a mother was the toughest job the world?

Bending over to put DVDS in the DVD player, you could put out your back for life.

TMC, without quoting your whole post, I see your point. The working conditions dumped on the front line staff in the HSE are diabolical, and changes absolutely must be made.

That the staff do so much with so little, and the sh!t they have o go through is worthy of praise though.

Martina, you're right too. One of the nicest people I ever met was a HCA. She was always there with a joke, or a sarcastic comment to make me laugh, which after 4 weeks on a ward is really needed. There are so many unsung heroes behind the scenes too that keep the system going.

Mr_Muffin wrote:

I've never worked as a Nurse so I do not know what a tough day for a Nurse entails thus I cannot make that comparison.

Disclaimer: I'm an oncology nurse.

A tough day for me could entail, having my allocated patients along with 2-3 more with being short staffed. These patients could incude one who is seriously unwell with infection, needing very frequent monitoring, antibiotics, blood draws, blood transfusions, trying to prevent the need for a transfer to icu

Another who could be end stage and is actively dying, needing lots of medications and care and family members needing questions answered/ support/help to grieve.
Another patient starting a new treatment and requires education about it, new iv line, and then the treatment itself.
From the other patients you could have some going for procedures that they need to be gotten ready for, others you are trying to organise to get discharged home with all required supports in place, which can involve numerous phone calls and faxes.
Then you have patients ringing from home looking for advice on what they should do etc. You have all the other disciplines reporting to you with new orders for each patient.
All this while trying to do the routine things like blood pressures and tablets and making beds and ordering supplies, following up with doctors to clarify what they want. All the while trying to ensure all the patients in my care are comfortable, have had time to talk and be listened to and understand fully what is happening.

That would be a day where things go the way we expect, other days patients condition could change from one hour to the next requiring a lot more input that was anticipated at the start of the day so you have to adjust your plan to try to incorporate everything that is now required!

I'm biased but I would say it is a tough job and nurses warrant the praise we get. I wouldn't change it for the world though, I love my job.

MonkieSocks wrote: »

I dread the day I ever have to go to hospital again.

Way overrated in my opinion

Yeah, definitely over-rated, I'd avoid it unless you're ill.

Stuckforcash wrote: »

Hmmm. Haven't witnessed many examples of this personally. I'm sure some are, but most I've encountered seem quite cold and uncaring. A lot to do with the HSE I'm sure, but with both my parents passing after long stints in a hospital I've unfortunately too many negative experiences for my liking.

My experience too, with my elderly mother, who has pleaded with me now and I have agreed to avoid our only hospital if at all possible in future to the point where we literally will die at home before returning.

ainy wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm an oncology nurse.

Can I just say, as someone who watched their mother battle cancer for over a decade, thank you for the job you and your colleagues do.

Calling ye saints or angels doesn't come close to describing the impact that ye have on families during the worst times of their lives.

I had numerous illness throughout my 20’s. I spent a fair bit of time in a few hospitals back then.

Take my word for it, nurses are unbelievable. They have to put up with so much ****.

They are angels.

I’ll tell you a little story. One of the times I was ill, I had to go up to Dublin to see a surgeon. I spent my first few hours on the ground floor, where I met this particular nurse. She kept coming over to me to check on, make sure I ok as I was there on my own.
Anyway, they thought I had the MRSA bug (whatever it’s called) because my infection was so bad. They moved me up to another floor where there was only two other patients who both had the bug.

That nurse came up to visit me everyday when her shift ended. She sat with me for an hour so I wouldn’t be lonely.

I will never ever forget that lady or the other women that did so much for me back then.

They are amazing women.

Tell me how wrote: »

That is sad to hear. I would write to the hospital and tell them of your experience if I were you.

I nearly lost my father last year but thankfully he pulled through after treatment in a public hospital.

My mother was so thankful for the care and respect he was shown continually, she left a card and gift at the nurses station when he was being discharged.

Galway University Hospital, fwiw.

I wrote the first time and it wasn’t even a complaining letter to be fair.
I tried to convey that I understood the effects of the over crowding and the trolleys, but sitting for long periods at my mothers bedside listening to other patients calling pitiably over and over for the nurse when the crowded nurses station was in my eyeline left me scared.
She received no personal care, no comforting words, no one asked her how she was.
I must say here that she was a nurse herself and we were reared on stories of how hard nursing is so we would have had a real respect and admiration of nurses.
I also know that there are many excellent nurses.

Nurses are amazing, in my experiences they are so caring, professional, smart and give you the best care.

The nurses involved with the births of my two kids and also went one of them spent a few nights in hospital were unbelievable. They are on the ball and you just know you are gettign the best you can.

I’ve seen them work with people in life or death situations and I honestly don’t know how they do it. Many people owe their lives to them and I know a few of those people.

fando wrote: »

Everyone knows that nurses and Gardai enter their vocation for the love for humanity and nothing else. They are practically saints.

There is an illusion that Gardai and Nurses are the working poor but they are very much middle class. Most of the younger nurses I know do lots of agency work and overtime, bringing their salaries to well beyond the average for their age. The more experienced nurses tend to move into 9-5 managerial roles. So the majority of nurse's wages could be in the region of 40-70k, above the average industrial wage and often higher than other health professionals like Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists etc.

Like all jobs, you'll find good and bad.
The good are just that - good. The bad should be fired. But who does that in our health service:eek: