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Saturday, May 11, 2013

The Value of Nurses


Nursing Week, from May 06 to May 12 has come, and was almost gone, before I sat up and paid attention. To fit with this month’s theme of Money, I have written a short essay on how they may relate.

In very early times nursing was considered a religious vocation ~ a calling ~ kindness and care of the sick was not paid. Nursing also has a long military history. Florence Nightingale is most famous for nursing protocols she established in the Crimean War.

However, nurses have historically, cleaned up many, many messes from the dreadful to the minor ~ whether in religious orders or in the military, all the while supporting their patients through sickness into health, or unfortunately sometimes into death, all the while putting at risk their own health.

Many men have joined Registered Nursing ranks through relatively recent years, however nurses at one time were predominately women. Thus many women’s issues were of great concern. At one time, women in nursing could not be married and definitely not pregnant. So women were to support themselves on whatever money would be paid them, and once married automatically left the profession.

Very slowly over the years, the nursing profession has graduated to paid employment allowing much more freedom along with the ability to support a small family. Unions have come to the fore to support this body of employees within our health care system. Unions supporting this profession have also been very controversial. How can one legislate dollars for caring?

In my opinion the ensuing power struggle between unions and management has the potential for pushing out time for the soul we put into our tasks, and encourages only time for our nursing tasks merely for the sake of getting a job done.

At the same time, I am extremely grateful to the unions I have been a member of, for the salary and benefits that have been hard fought and won. Nurses, not noted for taking care of themselves as they do their patients or families, often have spent time and money on someone else first. Unions have provided monetary supports for the nurses in their membership, encouraging nurses to care for themselves in the workplace.

As I watch nurses, and work along side nurses, I see that we are an incredibly creative bunch. Holding a hand just so while starting an intravenous, finding the laugh in the stitches on a jagged scar, shedding a tear along with a patient’s great sadness........so many little ways of practicing the art of nursing. These things do not increase one’s weekly pay cheque, but these arts of communication with our patients are the bond of trust we build with them and satisfaction of tasks well done.

“Nursing encompasses an art, a humanistic orientation, a feeling for the value of the individual, and an intuitive sense of ethics, and of the appropriateness of action taken.”
~ Myrtle Aydelotte

Friday, May 10, 2013

Rainy Day Savings

On the prairies, rainy days only occasionally clutter bright blue domed sky.

Children’s literal minds may not grasp ‘saving for a rainy day’ on the prairies where a rainy day is an all too brief, albeit welcome, respite.
West coast weather is upside down ~ real rainy days can last a long time ~ rooftops and gutters bear the brunt.

Rainy day or not, saving money is a task not for the faint of heart.
Large or small, the amount is up to each of us, with dollars and sense available at the time.

How to save money, even if in little bits, creates shifting amounts.
Learning how to leave the savings alone ~ the ultimate challenge.

Jobs, careers and employment dictate any money saved at all.
Education, glasses, dental care, and more dictates.
Knowledge of how to carve up each daily pie ~ crucial.

Pending retirement for some ~ who knows when ~ another ‘rainy day' whether on the west coast, the prairies or somewhere in between.
Before that time arrives, the rainy days may be few or many.

“The art is not in making money, but in keeping it.”
~ Proverb

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Talk about Money








Don’t talk about money
unless it’s The Economy.

Don’t talk about money
when it’s personal economy.

Debt ~ definitely a conversation dud.
Getting out of debt ~ secrecy is a must.

Debt ~ should not exist except in statistics
Getting out of debt ~ paying for bills and life attitudes.

Don’t talk about money management
Some think it’s as personal as underwear.

Don’t talk about money management
Should it be aired in public?

Opinions and attitudes about The Economy serve 
within a political cause to benefit the future.

Opinions and actions about personal economy serve
within a household to benefit individuals.

“Money is only a tool.  It will take you where ever you wish,
but it will not replace you as the driver.”
~ Ayn Rand

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Parking Violation


Violation - what a harsh word!
Too harsh for a silly parking fine.

Standing at the top of the stairs, I looked out over the full parking lot,
hot spring afternoon, sun brilliant and glinting off of car roofs.
It had been a really good day at work ~ busy ~ but well ordered.
I looked forward to being able to enjoy the sun, cup of coffee in hand and a lovely long evening.

Spotting my bright blue car, tucked carefully back into an allotted staff parking spot, my shoulders sagged - ‘I know I put the orange parking tag on my rear view mirror. Oh, darn - I forgot to make my parking tag visible after putting up my windshield protectors. There goes some more money!’

My annoyance dissolved with a bit of annoyed hesitation ~ 
(‘Don’t they recognize my car yet!!!')

Question ~  Who was really violated the worst?
And yet ~ if that was the worst ‘violation’ of the day, I think I'll just enjoy the sun and warm spring evening.  I'll pay the fine tomorrow.

“You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving to-day. 
They left a little note on the windscreen. It said ‘Parking Fine.’”
~ Tommy Cooper

Monday, May 6, 2013

Tax Time Rhyme


Each time I pay my taxes
whether end of year or not
money’s added to the coffers
for government folks to dole out.

They’re put in charge of all our dough
and make a great big pie.
Slices are cut for this and that,
some for them or you or I.

But do they do that fairly
and who really does that right?
I’m sure there must be someone
who cares about our plight.

Paying taxes is a bother, 
some would say too high
others say the balance works
still others want the sky.

One teeny tiny sample
is health care that is ‘free’,
paid for by our dollars
not from any money tree.

“I hate paying taxes. But I love the civilization they give me.”
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Learning Money Management


Money ~ another daunting topic for me to choose!
My knowledge of money doesn’t exactly have me waxing poetic.
Money management is a part of my life that just is: concrete and unwavering (well, sometimes wavering quite a bit).

Maybe, money management is the grand learning curve we start off on when we get our first pennies (now nickels) from grandparents or aunts and uncles. (2023 - twoonies or loonies!)

The shiny new coins taped inside of a birthday card
sometimes came with the admonition to 
‘not spend it all in one place’ or 
 to ‘put it in your piggy bank'.
Early lessons in money management. 

Later and harder lessons about money management 
can often come from the school of hard knocks 
complete with financial 
blunders
windfalls and hopefully
a steady financial income.

Balance between these three can be 
just a bit lopsided from time to time
with some warning ~ or not.

Learning about debt, spending and saving
what my responsibility is in each
develops over a life time with 
experience
education
willingness.

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
~ Benjamin Franklin

Author's note: Edited December 05, 2023