Nurses Deserves Respect - Think about it

I was concerned about the recent ramblings by my girlfriend for the past week, about how the patients and their relatives are treating them badly, in terms of rudeness, or have utterly no respect for nurses at all. And no, she didn't mention about all these in her blog. Its just something that keeps lingering on in my mind. And yes, i almost wrote to the newspaper regarding respect for nurses. The media could possibly do an investigation or a survey on the current nursing scene and how the public actually feels about the job. The media would definately draw attention into the nurses' life and more people will then find out how most nurses feel about their job. And most importantly, how the public actually views nursing as a job. Dirty job? Low pay? What's more, someone who can't study? It is better to clear up all uncertainties as there is definately mixed reactions from the public. Being a nurse you have the opportunity to save and improve lives, to teach people how to achieve better health, to advocate for patients to make sure they have the best health care every day without fail. If that is not enough, they take so much time in caring for other people that they risk themselves by being in the front line especially caring for you idiots out there. Not that their pay is THAT HIGH, their pay is miserably low. Now, this is another reason why there is a shortage of nursing staff everywhere. My girlfriend became a nurse because it was a childhood dream. Her mum was once a nurse in Taiwan. Now she's following her footsteps. Yes, you will be saying, ' Waaah, nurse ah.. so honourable... so noble.. so much sacrifice... ' That's from the group of people who admires nursing because they actually know how much nurses have been through caring for people. And there is another group, the take-all-things-for-granted-thinking-that-you're-the-only-one-in-the-whole-hospital- group. For instance, you pressed the call bell or informed a nurse that you need her to be there, and if she is occupied at the moment, just WAIT. Most people who belong to this group can't wait or even understand. But the problem is, there are many other patients waiting to do the exact routine too! Nurses can't cater to you just like that! Imagine just 1 nurse to a ward of 8 patients when a procedure could take up to 30 minutes! It doesn't help if you insult the nurse, it doesn't help if you keep forcing the nurse to attend to you first when your condition is exactly the same as the rest. Moreever, it doesn't help if you or your relatives command the nurse to do whatever you think is right. Look, whose job is this? Who knows the job more than everyone else? The nurses themselves right? So just ask her politely and she'll be more than happy to serve you! Which side are you? The good or the bad? I am sure Nurses deserve a little more respect than other jobs. I wasn't happy when i first met my girlfriend who is pursuing to be a nurse, but i had to understand that it is her dream to be one. Now, i've learnt to accept that being a nurse brings more advantages than disadvantages. Just one thing to note, i dislike her shift hours. I think shift hours gives couples and families lesser time to be together.. I've no qualms about writing about all these, i just wanted the public to understand what is actually going on in the life of nurses. Definately, there are some happy stories to share being a nurse. Having a patient discharged from a ward, jumping around and smiling, people who get admitted, getting all the care they need, leaving the ward and then sending cards back to thank all the health care staff. Yes, these bright and cheerful moments will definately being a tear to most, if not, all nurses in the health care industry. To make things clear, these do not represent what my girlfriend has said. These are thoughts that have been going through my mind for the past 2 weeks after she told me that the maid and relatives are bullying her till she almost cried. That keeps her wondering whether all the things she has been doing is still worth it. I certainly do not wish anything would befall on her as a result of what i've wrote here regarding incidents that happened in her ward, if things need to be done, i would gladly remove this entry if you provide a valid explanation With that, i humbly end my speech, giving tribute to all nurses out there sacrificing their time and risking their lives with such a miserly pay without getting the respect they actually deserved.. Toiling their lives away for people who don't appreciate.. Just concerned..