Yes We Can…In Health Care Too
When Obama first took MY stage, when he first got in to my heart with his “Yes We Can” speech, a very small part of me wanted to believe that this was possible. Then the pessimism seeped in and thought of all the reasons that this was not possible. Eventually, I began to believe that it really could happen. Now here we are! Days away from the inauguration of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States of America.
This experience happened to me again this week. I so hope I don’t look back at this entry and wonder, what were you thinking? But so many questions have been in my mind during the years I have practiced as a nurse. I think that anyone who has been a patient in a hospital has wondered, “Why” about so many things. Why can’t my family be with me in the recovery room after my cesarean? Why can’t hospitals serve healthy food? Why don’t nurses ever have time for actual patient care? Why do they wake me up in the middle of the night to take my blood pressure when I’m not here for blood pressure issues? Why do they have to draw my blood at 5am?
I am here to tell you that most nurses ask the same questions and more. I dare to say that 98.2% of nurses are very well intentioned and want to provide patients with good care. Most of us want to feed you healthy food and let you sleep. Most of us really hate quoting policy as the answers to your “whys”. We wish we could sit at your bedside and answer all of your questions without thinking about everything that’s going on outside your door.
Rarely are we given the opportunity to change something as massive as a hospital, let alone a whole health care system. Here, where I happen to live, AMAZING people have come together to question how things have always been done. We are going to feed you healthy food when you want it, 24 hours a day. We are going to treat you as a whole person, not a diagnosis. We are NOT going to wake you up to stick a thermometer in your mouth unless we’re worried about your temp. These things may not sound revolutionary but they are (especially if you have ever been in a hospital). Just take a peek. Oh and could you let me know if you are sick of me talking about this? Please?
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I *love* that video, and not just cause your boss is cute. It’s such a cool concept, and YOU’RE running the show! Well, *your* show anyway, so proud of you!
You had me at “health coach”…of course none of this talk is making us sick, hope makes us better! I wonder if the more socially acceptable term of “health coach” will apply to doulas, and serve to protect them from getting their heads chewed off for trying to defend a mother’s right to give birth how she chooses. You know how it is.