September 30, 2011

Loosing Angels (Nurses) at Hospitals

Choosing to be a nurse is a career of the heart. Nurses
are responsible for treating, educating, and helping
patients. One of the reasons that nurses love their
careers because of the level of interaction with patients.
Even though there is continued training, evaluations and
long hours, many times nurses serve 12 hour shifts and
work with up to seven (7) to nine (9) patients at a time. 
This is an awesome responsibility and to ensure that
nurses are professional, responsible and accountable
they are evaluated and monitored.

Nurses are the first line of patient care when a person
goes to the hospital, quotes like,”Constant attention
by a good nurse may be just as important as a major
operation by a surgeon” D. Hammarskjold shows
how immeasurably important a good nurse is.

The demeaning side of a nurse’s life is that they have
very limited options when harshly evaluated and
judged. Nurses can be judged by professional criteria
or personal criteria. The sad part of any evaluation
for a nurse is when a personal evaluation goes bad
and a qualified, dedicated and experienced nurse
is judged so harshly and unfairly they are let go
or fired for no probable cause.

The issue of health care has created such a stir that
people from all age groups struggle with healthcare;
my recent hospital stay has caused me to reevaluate
my healthcare options as a male that is over 45 years
of age. Healthcare has become so controversial it has
become over the years a political issue. D. Cardillo
stated about nurses and their impact on patients that,
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.”

The heart of the medical profession comes from the
nurses (Angels),  nurses are also the arms that comfort
patients, the heart that contains the love and
compassion needed to help patients, the mental
toughness to decipher medical conditions and
administer sufficient medication to ease pain and discomfort.

When a hospital does not value their nurses their
effectiveness to have first class healthcare and caring for
patients diminishes. Nurses start to fear for their jobs,
patient care is affected and moral drops to the point where
stress, anxiety and worry permeate the medical atmosphere.
These are some of the issues affecting hospitals where the
Angels (nurses) are being hurt from unwarranted disciple,
unfettered   judgments and maybe even bias (in my opinion)
undertones in evaluations and unfair treatment.

Nursing is not like teaching where there is strong Union
support, because of the lack of unionization nurses may
seem to be treated like indentured servants (slaves), that
supposedly was abolished over a century ago.  In recent news
reports nurses have been given more responsibility that even
doctors are not held accountable for.  Data shows that
patients trust nurses more than doctors, from my recent
hospital experience I have had three doctors “advise” me
on my condition (diabetes) staying only at a maximum
of ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes (yes I timed them).
While my nurses stayed longer making sure I was
comfortable, understood my medications, and even
asked about my family’s needs.

This is true professionalism, the thought that these
dedicated nurses both men and women who only make
a fraction of what doctors make and work longer hours
perform professionally and possess the hearts of Angels.
My mind shifts again to how much I or my insurance was
paying a doctor who smiled, shook my hand and
was eager to leave my room, I would truly prefer that money
go to a nurse who I knew would reliably and efficiently
be there at the allotted time with a smile, cheerful heart
and good bedside manner. It seems sometimes that
hospitals do not understand how vital a nurse is.

This is why as posted in “Nursing Times”
(nursingtimes.net/,
April, 2009, S. Payne) that poll of
1,700 people found 95% of people trust nurses ‘a great deal’
or ‘quite a lot’, whereas only 87% of respondents placed
the same level of trust in doctors. 

The only profession that is placed above nurses are firefighters.
Not teachers, law enforcement, politicians, lawyers or other
valuable professions. 
Nursing proudly is the largest
occupation in the health care industry, over 2.6 million
nurses in the United States and growing with the increase
in elderly living longer. To sum up the dedication of nurses
and sacrifices they make, D. Cardillo states, “Nursing is
not for everyone.  It takes a very strong, intelligent, and
compassionate person to take on the ills of the world
with passion and purpose and work to maintain the
health and well-being of the planet.  No wonder we're
exhausted at the end of the day!”

This blog is dedicated to nurses around the world,
especially to those at St. Lukes Hospital, Jacksonville,
Florida that are losing valuable and seasoned nurses
(Angels). To all the nurses let go, fired, and terminated.
The patient in the end is the one adversely affected and
looses out because seasoned and experienced nurses
are being fired, let go, terminated and unsupported.

September 28, 2011

Students Your Accountable for Learning




Your Accountable for Learning

Students, do you understand your position in your educational journey? You have received a gift that puts you in a position to be excellent; you have a position that influences your world in a positive way with access to a quality education. Despite all the criticism America still has a world class educational system that does prepare you to compete on a global scale. It is up to you to make the most of it despite any challenges you may face during your educational journey.

Unfortunately you may not see the potential of education because of negative distractions limiting your incite to your great potential. Students you have to understand and appreciate your position for greatness and influence in society. The world is yours to make of it what you want, but you have to have an education to survive and thrive.

Young men who seem to struggle the most have great men in positions that are role models to show that education and service to community can lift you up. Those positions that are role models are right in front of you, but situations and circumstances try to blind you young men, to the successes that you can achieve.
President Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America, Mayor Alvin Brown, Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida and Kendrick Meek, past Florida House of Representatives and current United Nations Ambassador are all role models for our youth, all Black men who recognize their cultural heritage and have themselves struggled during their youth. President Obama has stated several times that there has to be a “sense of accountability,” for our youth to accept responsibility for their education. President Obama attempts to motivate and inspire not just with words, but in his actions as well. Admitting he was bullied in his youth, did not have an involved father and challenged academically, what better motivation for youth than to hear from the leader of the United States that he survived and excelled with an education. Talking to youth especially minority youth President Obama has commented that, “giving up on your education and dropping out of school means not only giving up on your future, but it’s also giving up on your family’s future.”

These men hold these positions that open doors for young people both male and female. The importance of education can never be overlooked or downplayed. Pastor Newbill of First Timothy Baptist Church share the statement, “with Jesus Christ in me I can accomplish all things,” all things can include  academics, improved reading, literacy and comprehension levels. Too many of our youth are poor readers not because they cannot read, but because their focus is distracted and the perception of education is skewed. Common knowledge dictates as students become better readers they become successful and when our students are successful our communities, neighborhoods and cities grow more successful.
Those students that are struggling should be pushed harder because they have more to lose in life. They do need support and consistant positive reinforcement. 

Youth need to understand that they are growing in a position to inherit their communities and are responsible and accountable for growth and prosperity. Community stakeholders, educators and local government must teach and model excellence and value for education, not accept failure from any student and hold parents accountable. If parents are weak in their parenting skills then resources should be made available to strengthen them because the stakes are too high not too.  The position that youth in schools are working towards is graduation from high school. In order to be prepared for the job market, vocational school, college/university and even military service.

This academic year is new in many ways; more schools are considered Challenged, Failing, Struggling and have an Intervening status. Students need to work towards a position of excellence not settling for being labeled, type casted, and looked down upon. Parents must reinforce their children to look past current situations and circumstances by speaking life and success into their children. Parents should not fall back into the negativity of blaming teachers if their children are failing, an inward assessment is needed to see what they are not doing and change their behaviors to help their children.

A parent can be part of the solution for their child’s success or part of the problem for their child’s failure. Ultimately there is a cooperative effort between teachers that teach and parents that support teachers. Even though I’m addressing students, if more parents were doing what they were suppose to do there would be less of a need for the multiple programs, services and incentives to promote educational success. Parenting is a responsibility that goes beyond a sexual act in creating a child. Conception creates life in days, but the accountability and responsibility of parenting lasts a lifetime.

Students understand your position that education is a path that requires the value of learning, respecting teachers and administrators, possessing self discipline and participating in the learning experience not just paying lip service by making excuses and blaming others for not doing what you need to do to be successful. The speaking of negativity will create negative outcomes and opportunities of failure, but speaking achievement, success and promotion bring opportunities for greater elevation in life. As students you ultimately determine your position in school and life so choose wisely.