A hospital room, undeniably, is often not the most welcoming venue. It can be daunting in the best of circumstances. Various people, in various roles, shuffle in and out, performing tasks that are alien to the general populace. Sometimes, doctors add an air of comfort and caring along with their medical knowledge. Sometimes not. You are fortunate if you meet one that inspires confidence. Most times, they dispense facts from their accumulated storehouse of knowledge. And that's all they do.
Often, a patient is meant to feel as if Moses was coming down from the Mountain with the Tablets. There can be a disconnect. The Doctor Knows Everything. The patient, Nothing.
This is not how the system should work. There has to be that person who knows much of what the doctor knows, but is much more accessible. Someone who will listen. And knows what to listen for. Someone who will understand. Someone who will care. Omnipresent. Indefatigable. Doing everything from cleaning up to assisting with surgery. Making the unknown palatable. Helping the patient understand their frailties as well as their strengths. Manufacturing courage, even when hopelessness seems inevitable. Moses? They are under no such illusion that that is their role. Their role is simple, yet complex. Sometimes easier than others, sometimes next to impossible. They are critical, yet often overlooked.
They are nurses.
Day after day, night after night, one double-shift after another. Saving patients and their families. Getting things done that simply cannot be done. Lessening fears. Giving emotions an outlet. Providing weight, nuance and meaning. Making things digestible. Sometimes they are thanked by the grateful. Oftentimes, not. That's unforgivable. Often, they are intrinsically motivated. They have to be. As a group,they are rare. They are heroes. They are nurses.
Written by the Human being in Rm 1126-2.
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