What more can really been said about the nursing shortage? Well, not much really, except that the media frenzy just keeps on going, and basically ignoring the fact that nursing shortages in the past have never been solved. The reason? Hospitals, for the most part, are truly not interested. A prime example is my recent post about the nursing home that basically removed the right of an employee to call in sick.

Anyone working in healthcare, and I’m not talking bloated suits upstairs drinking lattes in their plushy cushy offices. You know, the ones who suck million dollar bonuses out of systems said to be teetering on bankruptcy. And these are the same institutions bleeting and farting all over the news about the “nursing shortage” and why they simply can’t make their hospital a safe place to work, or offer benefits and wages to nurses that befit the job being done. Of course, they see nothing wrong with paying some dweeb a $2 million dollar bonus because he signed a few documents and had his office refurbished with imported Italian handmade leather furniture.

Beach Baby Blues

California is a prime example of what I am talking about. The nurse:patient ratio law is workable, as Kaiser Permanente has proven. Nurses will come to work in hospitals that offer then decent pay, benefits, respect, safety, and an overall positive work environment. It can be done, the nurses will show up.

Now, a judge dashed Gov. Arnold’s plans for reversing the clock and getting rid of that pesky ratio law. Unless the California govt. appeals, the judge’s order is now final. On all medical/surgical floors, the ratio of nurse to patient is 1:5.

Many hospitals have been mismanaged, and they are trying to pawn that off on the ratio law. Quite a few more are bloated to the gills with unnecessary middle management types who know nothing about patient care, and who do nothing other than micro-manage to the point of disruption. Fire those, and use the money to hire new nurses.

Hospitals can also make better use of per diem nurses, who work only as needed, and who do not “strain the budge” for things like health insurance or pension plans. The can also initiate their own registries, and thus cut out the expensive middle man when they need temps to fill empty slots. But many nurses report that hospitals refuse to budge on those things. They won’t allow a potential hire any flexibility, so they end up with no one.

The Double M

I will agree that Medicare and Medicaid (MediCal in California) are problematic for hospitals and doctors. Reimbursements are ridiculously low, especially for Medical, and many facilities just cannot accept patients covered under those policies. It’s not being mean, it’s being realistic. Federal cutbacks to these programs simply mean that less of these patients are going to get the care they need.

Another problem in California is illegal immigrants. Yes, a political hot topic button, but a problem nevertheless. Most of them do not have insurance, they don’t receive Medical, and they show up in the ER and expect to be treated. Without paying for it. No, I am not being cruel. I’ve taken care of babies in the NICU whose parents are illegals, and the bill is just eaten by the hospital. It is a major problem when a patient runs up a million dollar bill and there is no hope of ever collecting the money.

So I agree, something needs to be done about those issues. I don’t fault hospitals for that, and while it does seem terribly cruel to refuse an admission, or for a physician to put a “No Medical” on the door, it is a matter of financial survival.

But it still doesn’t explain the attitude. Hospitals just don’t seem to understand that there will be a nursing shortage as long as working conditions remain horrendous. Maintaining the nurse:patient ratio, but firing support staff isn’t going to earn you brownie points either. Sorry, guys, but nurses are no longer martyrs in white dresses. They don’t work for ‘da master no more.

I hve received several comments from people about my posts on Anoopa Sharma, which prompted me to return to her website and see if there was anything new posted. There was a lovely comment from her uncle, and I hope he won’t mind if I repeat just one paragraph of what he wrote.

I am Very proud of my sister Anita & brother in law Dennis Sharma, for having raised such an outstanding child !! Surely the pain of seperation is felt deeper ..than merely in the Heart. It shakes one to the very Soul. GOD must Truly Love her.. to recall her so soon.

None of us have any idea why someone so young and promising, why someone who had great plans for healing the world of some of its pain–would die so soon. The idea that it was God’s love, rather than indifference, is an intriguing one. Looking at it from that aspect, then it would explain why my mean, bitter, thoroughly nasty and violent grandmother lived to be almost 100–God kept putting it off as long as he could!

Anyway, I cried when I watched the video of the broadcast from Fox Atlanta’s news station. This was a person I never met, know nothing about it, and yet the story of her short life and end brought me to tears. Especially poignant are the words of her father at the end, where he speaks of how much they will miss her, and then his voice breaks and you know that he is crying…

Last night I was waiting to use the ATM and the nice, well dressed gentleman that I was standing behind, suddenly turned his head and spit. Now I can see if he was choking, about to suffocate unless he was able to get that gob of mucus out of his throat. But no such thing. He spit and then calmly returned to retrieving his money. Before he left the ATM, he spit once again for good measure.

Thank you sir, for being so considerate, and allowing me the honor of having to step into your spit in order to get my money.

It was a windy evening, and I had the good sense not to stand directly behind him. You develop that kind of sixth sense when you live in Seattle. This is the spit capitol of the U.S. I can’t imagine that even hillbillies chewing tobacco spit more than the people do here. It is just so disgusting, and so many people just stroll through the streets spitting. There is about as much spit on the sidewalks as dog piss. And now that we’re entering into a drought and the sidewalks are nice and dry, you get to clearly observe spit globules on the pavement, every few feet.

This came to mind after writing about tuberculosis. There is TB in Seattle, and it is spread by coughing and spit. To say nothing about spreading just plain old flu and common cold germs.

If a person walked out naked, they would probably get arrested. But walking naked is a fairly harmless activity. Worst case scenario, we have to look at someone’s flabby pot belly, or their hairy crotch. Who cares? But yet, a nude person will get fined or arrested, while spitters appear to have complete immunity.

People also have to clean up after their dogs. Well maybe we should have spittle scoopers, and require spitters to wipe down the sidewalk after they’re done. If they can’t refrain from sloshing their saliva on the street, feel offended by using a tissue or hankerchief, or can’t wait until they see a trash can, then at least clean up your mess.