Having recently returned from sitting bedside with a surgical patient at a local hospital for two straight weeks, I can faithfully attest to some basic truths about modern medicine. First, it’s not Club Med. In many ways, it’s like having an inquisitive, yet psychotic, toddler armed with a blood pressure cuff, an instant-read thermometer and a needle staring at you 24/7. The moment the little guy sees you might start to be relaxing, he’s certain to poke and prod you with one or more of the above. Second, the food is terrible. It’s a bad sign when the medical staff can’t hide their disdain. (Never, ever order the vegetarian lasagna. Ever. You’ll thank me later.) And finally, through the blurry sweep of major surgery, intensive care, dozens of intravenous bags, lots and lots of drugs, doctors, physician assistants, residents and techs, the pain, the frustration and tedium, you will soon discover an unchanging truth: Nurses are the greatest thing going in the hospital. God bless them.
Make no mistake, I was not predisposed to praising nurses. They don’t run in my family. They aren’t among my closest friends. Until recently, I’d mostly thought of them as kind of minor functionaries in the context of a primary care provider. They put you on the scale, take your height, check your blood pressure and warn you that the doctor is coming soon. But in a hospital, their impact is profound. They are the ones checking on the patient on a regular basis, they are the first to perceive changes, good or bad, in the recovery process. They deal with the mundane but must also recognize the alarming. And they are there for 12-hour shifts. You may see your surgeon once or twice a day, or a resident once in a while. But the nurses and techs are your caregivers, your lifeline, your comfort, your allies.
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a nursing shortage going on. It’s thought that increasing demand for all types of nurses — caused in part, by an aging U.S. population and expanded access to health care as well as retirements, turnover and burnout in the nursing profession — have hit many communities quite hard. Government and the health care industry are working on solutions including expanded recruitment and training slots. Even billionaires are contributing to nursing schools on a regular basis and funding scholarships. But as someone who has just left ground zero (well, a ground zero anyway), and who asked each and every nurse what should be done to address the crisis, I can tell you they all had the exact same thought: Pay nurses what they deserve. See? Sometimes, health care problem are complex. Other times, they are actually quite straightforward.
