I can’t let the week end without writing about National Nurse Appreciation Week. Fortunately, my exposure to nurses has been fairly limited. I know a couple from non-medical settings, but I’ve only had brief and singular contact with nurses in medical settings due to my general good health. They are busy and efficient, but honestly, never unkind that I’ve seen. Compassion seems to be built into the people who select nursing as a career. One of my stepsons has been moving in the direction of a nursing program and he is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know. He’s going to make a fantastic nurse. In addition to innate compassion, I think nurses must also lack a gag reflex. They are surely exposed to the ickiest side of humans. And yet they do so much more than clean up our ick.
TV shows like House and Grey’s Anatomy are all about the doctors…you see few nurses. But go to any real hospital and you see few doctors, but many nurses. I doubt TV depicts nurses accurately. Nurses are the front line – and they see things before the doctors. Case in point – two doctors did not even consider Lyme disease when I brought symptoms to them, but during an unrelated contact with a nurse, she immediately suggested a Lyme blood test and that’s when I got diagnosed.
So, hat’s off to all the nurses! I’m sure you’re all very nice people, but I hope I only get to know you in non-medical situations for a very long time!
TV shows like House and Grey’s Anatomy are all about the doctors…you see few nurses. But go to any real hospital and you see few doctors, but many nurses. I doubt TV depicts nurses accurately. Nurses are the front line – and they see things before the doctors. Case in point – two doctors did not even consider Lyme disease when I brought symptoms to them, but during an unrelated contact with a nurse, she immediately suggested a Lyme blood test and that’s when I got diagnosed.
So, hat’s off to all the nurses! I’m sure you’re all very nice people, but I hope I only get to know you in non-medical situations for a very long time!