The Eyes and Ears of the Hospital
New York Times
Print Media Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
New York, N.Y.
Jun 5, 2002
To the Editor:
I agree with Dr. Jack Needleman that registered nurses
are ''the eyes and
ears of the hospital,'' but as a registered nurse and a doctoral student
in family health care nursing, I would like to extend the metaphor (''Shortage
of Nurses Hurts Patient Care, Study Finds,'' news article, May 30).
We as nurses are positioned to gain entree to our patients'
worlds, to
see through their eyes and to perceive their fears and concerns.
With the ability of nurses to navigate two divergent worlds,
the ''world
of the patient'' and the ''world of medicine,'' we are not only the ''eyes
and ears of the hospital'' but also the ''voice,'' in which we are responsible
for advocating the needs of our patients and their families.
It is our responsibility as nurses to share with the public
the less visible
yet exciting and sacred work that we do.
FRANCES M. STRZEMPKO
Preventing Painful Death
New York Times
Print Media Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
New York, N.Y.
Nov 13, 2001
To the Editor:
I've never been more proud to be a nursing student at
West Chester University
of Pennsylvania than I was after reading the Conversation with Kathleen
Foley about averting needless suffering. We are constantly discussing
palliative
care and end-of-life issues in my program, to the point where I thought
that it was a standard part of nursing education.
Every one of my textbooks discusses these topics. As a
result of this,
I feel very confident starting a nursing career. Not only can I help patients
achieve their optimal health, but I can also aid them in their time of
death.
SHARON PRAISSMAN
The Nursing Shortage
New York Times
Print Media Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
New York, N.Y.
Jul 24, 2001
To the Editor:
As Milt Freudenheim observes (Market Place column, July
17), we are in
the midst of a tremendous shortage of hospital nurses, which is predicted
to worsen in coming years. Certainly traveling nurses are helping hospitals
keep their doors open.
More troubling is the notion that hospitals were willing
to spend $7.2
billion last year for temporary employees instead of using that money
to
improve the working conditions for nurses and other health care workers
in their facilities.
The problem is not that there are no nurses; there are
2.7 million licensed
registered nurses out there. But most nurses would prefer to use their
licenses and experience in more stable work settings, rather than endure
the forced overtime, unsafe levels of nurse staffing and dangerous safety
risks they find in most hospitals.
CHERYL JOHNSON
The writer, a registered nurse, is president of United American Nurses,
A.F.L.-C.I.O.
