It’s Nurses’ Time

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

I know that we’ve always ‘loved’ nurses. And of course, everyone already respects doctors...But, as a society, we haven’t always respected nurses’ contributions to patient’s survival, or respected their medically technical ‘know-how...’

When I was a pediatric nurse working with chronically ill kids, people would tell me that I must have a ‘big heart,' and ‘a real calling.’ And when I worked as a nurse in an inner-city emergency department, people would say ‘It must be hard to work in a place like that.’

Nurses Know What’s What.

Not very often would they say ‘You must know a lot about medicine, medications and pathophysiology to manage such diverse patient population.’ They would say that to doctors, not often to nurses.

But with so much global focus on COVID-19 and our individual well-being, the focus on nurses has never been greater. And in equal proportion is the growing respect—and awareness—of the real work of nurses.

The Real Work of Nurses.

Ask any nurse what they do all day and the answers might surprise you. (And no, our working hours are not filled with taking vital signs or emptying bedpans...although those activities are important too...) A nurses’ day is filled with assessing patients to determine if they are getting better or worse, and they do that by interpreting several medical devices which are hooked-up to the patient spewing out real-time data. They review physiological indicators to determine if the vital sign trends point towards patient improvement or decline. They review biometric markers, lab results and conduct physical exams.

A nurse also determines which medications and therapies to adjust and provide that advice to physicians. Nurses also oversee all of the patient’s procedures and daily medical activities. Nurses also ensure that the right medications are given to the correct patient, and the correct procedures happen to right patient. And nurses also provide guidance, education, support and comfort to patients and their families during extremely difficult times...(Remember when families could come into the hospital to visit their loved ones?)

The Meaningful Lives of Healthcare Professionals.

This is the work of nurses. It has been our work for years. And I want to thank my Fellow Nurses (and all healthcare providers) for their dedication to spending their lives doing important and meaningful work. When I was working as a nurse, I always felt that my career was meaningful and significant, which made me feel that I was meaningful and significant.

In Nurses (And Healthcare Professionals) We Trust.

And according to any poll taken over the last decade, nurses are the most trusted healthcare professionals and of the most trusted professionals out there! For all these reasons, this is precisely why we trust them. For all these reasons, we should not only listen to our trusted medical professionals now, but we should defer to them. In these days of pandemics, plagues and (dare I say) paranoia, they  provide sound, scientific and medically proven recommendations.

During this week when we tip our hat to nurses, I too tip my hat… Consider my hat off my head and sweeping by my feet!

About the author: Julie Kliger is recognized by LinkedIn as a "Top Voice" in Health Care in 2015 & 2106, & 2107. She is a Healthcare ‘Strategic Realist’ who is passionate about improving health care and improving lives. She specializes in future-oriented healthcare redesign, translating bio/med-tech into legacy industries, implementing new care models and strategic change management. She is an adviser, clinician, health system board member, speaker and author. 

Please sign up for my bi-weekly series on LinkedIn called Inside Healthcare: Real Insights, Real Stories.

You can reach her at [email protected]