nabeepchen

Now how could I have possibly missed National Nurses Week. I mean, why wasn’t it highlighted on my calendar in dayglo green, or why didn’t I have some sort of alarm system chiming…”We are now entering National Nurses Week, please put a smile on your face.”

National Nurses Week is one of those things, something that some dweeb thought up to “honor” nurses. It runs from May 6-May 12, this year, to coincide with the birthday of the grand-dam of nursing herself, Florence Nightingale. It would be one thing if it was a sort of May Day type thing, where nurses all over the country dropped their bedpans and took to the streets. It would be one thing if facilities thought to actually honor nurses during this sacred week, by doing something that shows that nurses are respected and considered an important member of the team, instead of something they figure that they can work to death, and toss out the door if they think they need to make cuts somewhere.

This is from the American Nurses Association:

As we celebrate National Nurses Week 2008 (NNW) May 6 - 12, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and its constituent member associations (CMAs) salute nurses across the country with the theme Nurses: Making a Difference Every Day. Nursing is often described as both an art and a science; this year’s theme reflects the commitment nurses make every day for their patients and the compassion and quality of care they provide for their community.

Today’s nurses must have the strength to care for patients during times of disaster and crisis; the commitment to remain involved in continuing education throughout their careers; and the compassion to provide hands-on patient care at the bedside – as they have done throughout the centuries. Moreover, at 2.9 million strong, nurses represent the largest group of health care workers in America, and we have the power to achieve much-needed reform in nursing and in health care. That is why it is important to take time out during National Nurses Week to thank nurses for what they do and to remind the public just how vital our nation’s nurses are to patients, their families and society.

It shows you just how out of touch with reality they are. Nurses don’t want to be thanked, they want to be treated as professionals, respected, and paid what they are worth. Of course, far too many nurses still believe that it’s okay to be abused on the job, okay if a patient hits them or a physician smacks them around….hospitals tend to think so as well. It would be really nice if the ANA was an organization akin to the American Medical Association, and had real clout and a real vision.

But less than 10% of all nurses belong to the ANA, and it’s not hard to understand why. They do nothing, have no vision except to throw around fancy rhetoric, and tend to skim over real issues. Like last week, which was supposed to honor nurses. How about getting a little more militant, and striving to motivate nurses to stand up for themselves, to organize and fight abuse?

I guess that would go against the spirit of National Nurses Week, though. Nurses are supposed to be sweet and compassionate. They should be thankful that their employers don’t kick them in the ass more than once a day. Right?