I’ve started watching ZDogg again. He is a brilliant educator, entertainer and, at times rebel who is better than ANY of my medical schoolteachers. Today, as he often does, he pays homage to nurses. Feel free to skip the commercial and go straight to the video. Just click on the word nurses and you will be taken to the video.
I want to take a moment to thank all the incredible nurses that worked for me and with me over the years. There are far too many to name. You know who you are. In my book, the term “nurse” includes medical office assistants (MOA), licensed practical nurses, and an assortment of other individuals trained to care for patients.
During the last few years of my practice, I was blessed to work with Olga and Darlene. Not only did they take care of my patients, they also took care of me. They still call to check on me and offer their help. While they do not have the education of an R.N., they have the skill and dedication needed to care for the sick and injured.
I want to thank all of you for taking such excellent care of my patients! I especially want to thank Olga and Darlene. As my Parkinson’s and back pain worsened, they did everything they could to make my job easier. Darlene always knew how to make me laugh and lift my mood.
There is one other remarkable “nurse” I want to thank. Over the years I worked with Ewa, I witnessed the birth of one of the most dynamic healthcare providers I’ve ever worked with. Ewa ran my Concierge Practice. Many of my concierge patients stayed in the program because of the exceptional care and management of their needs provided by Ewa.
The moral of this story is that nurses and those who function like nurses are essential members of the healthcare team and should be recognized for the role they play. Unfortunately, docs, their patients and their staff often forget to say “thanks.”
The next time your doc is running late or you’re upset over some other office issue, don’t take it out on the nurse! She’s there to care for your needs, not to be reamed for something out of her control.
