Letters to the Editor
Monday May 4, 2009
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I just finished reading the “Just The Nurse” article (End of Shift, February issue) and couldn’t agree more.
I, too, am a school nurse, and find the public’s perception disappointing, to say the least. We triage and plan, implement, and evaluate all day long — 50 visits a day on average.
— Carol Kasper RN, BSN
Meadow Brook Elementary School East
Longmeadow, Mass.
Lack of Common Sense Can Lead to Errors
A quote in the online article “Campaign Addresses Unsafe Injection Practices” says, “Somewhere along the line there’s been a breakdown, maybe because there’s not been sufficient focus on infection control during medical training. People who have been involved in these outbreaks sometimes reported they had been instructed to do things in a certain way to limit costs.” In my experience, somewhere along the line the breakdown has been a lack of common sense. Instead of questioning an unsafe or idiotic practice, many nurses do it because “that’s how we do it here,” regardless of whether it makes sense or puts patient health in jeopardy.
Even a lay person would understand the danger of reusing a sharp or syringe. The fact that nurses are casting basic infection control and aseptic technique aside is mind-boggling and, frankly, quite frightening. Perhaps nursing schools need to offer “Common Sense 101” in the syllabus as well as ethics.
— Susan D’Agostino, RN
Acton Medical Associates
Acton, Mass.
Personal Connection to Last ‘ER’ Episode
As I watched the final episode of “ER,” I reflected on how this program has been in the backdrop of my entire nursing career. The first episode premiered during my last semester of nursing school in fall 1994. “ER” was real and fascinating to us as nurses about to embark on our careers.
The final episode aired as I finished my last semester of my MSN program, and I now have a new perspective on nursing and how nursing was portrayed on the show. It seems to me now that nurses were primarily in the background, carrying bags of IV solutions, bringing medications to the stars of the show, the doctors.
During the “ER Retrospective” show aired before the actual final episode, the actress who played “Abby” made an interesting statement that her character moved from being a nurse, then a med student, and finally a doctor. This seemed to portray nursing as simply a stepping stone to becoming a doctor, and perhaps those who stay in nursing do so because they can’t be doctors. I fear this is a pervasive perspective; that nurses are simply people who wanted to be doctors but just couldn’t cut it. Nursing is not a training program for future doctors, nor are nurses simply doctor helpers. Nursing is its own profession with a unique, evidence-supported view on human health and wellness. Nurses at all levels and in all specialties should celebrate being nurses.
— Monica Jensen, RN, MSN (c)
Portland, Conn.
Correction: The position of 2009 Nursing Excellence finalist Diane Tubman, RN, CPN, BSN, was incorrect in the April issue. She is a Staff Nurse Level 3.
Editor’s note: Share with us your opinions, comments, and suggestions. Letters are edited for content, clarity, and length. Send letters to 2353 Hassell Road, Suite 110, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169-2170, or e-mail editorNE@nursingspectrum.com.
