In praise of nurses

[puppymouse]

I'm currently in hospital - been here for an emergency op and on a ward for a few days.

I don't know where one goes to shout about the amazing work nurses do but I chose here. Over the last few days I have seen kindness, patience, lateral thinking, persistence, resilience and heard them dealing with stuff that would have me heaving or punching someone.

Every time a patient says sorry for they get a friendly and breezy "don't you worry it's just part of the job. It's what I'm here for."

For those of you on here who are nurses I stand in awe of you and I wish I could give you the biggest fattest, payrise ever and wave a wand so all patients were friendly and polite.

THANK YOU

Usually our sister says “Mrs Brown wrote a nice card thanking everyone, so anyone involved in her care take a photocopy for revalidation”.
That’s kind of you to do that.

Apologies - being an idiot with ethnicity. Don't mean to cause any offence. Brain is fried I sound like an idiot but I mean unfamiliar names anyway that I couldn't keep in my head.

I was very disappointed with the care during an admission a few months ago.

The vast majority of nurses were rude, no bedside manner, I also overheard them bitching about myself and another patient (no justification for this). Patients were left in pain, despite (politely) requesting medication and being told that yes, of course they could have it, then being left for over an hour.

I also heard a man in a lot of pain when four different nurses And health care assistants tried and failed to get a cannula in. I saw it happen and they tried about 7-8 times in different places, the poor man was in so much pain and I later overheard them laughing about it.

They certainly weren't rushed off their feet so I don't think stress could be blamed for their behaviour.

I'd like to think this isn't the norm, I'm sure most nurses are extremely professional and hard working. However, these ones were bloody awful.

Abso-bloody-lutely.
The nurse who cared for me through the night when I was close to death will always have a place in my heart. I wrote and thanked her afterwards, took a gift to the ward etc. but it didn't really express my deep gratitude.
Nurses are awesome!

@BrownSq how disappointing. Ironically a close friend told me to get a transfer as she had appalling care at the hospital I'm at. I don't know if it's luck, timing or what.

I think it's just luck, I'm sure there are plenty of good ones as well as bad, as in every profession I guess.

I think myself and the other poor patients were just very unlucky that particular day/night. They were a very unpleasant bunch of people.

A couple of years ago I spent ten days in hospital, emergency admitted. Only one nurse was horrible but she’d have been horrible whatever job she did, all the others were fantastic and I could never have done what they did especially on the low wages they receive.

As I got better I heard snippets of conversations between them and some had horrible personal problems such as relationship break ups, problems with children or money etc and yet they still managed to be cheerful and kind to their patients.