Burning Expectations

My expectations of nurses are, many times, impossibly high. I know that young women and men go into the nursing profession to help. To care for those wh are ill.  I recall my step-father-in-law so very surprised when I was spoke of a patient who was rude to me and to other nurses. He was actually quite shocked. Today I am shocked when I hear of nurses injured and on sick leave because of this behaviour and worse. Do I put responsibility on the nurses for their responses to such behaviour? If their responses are inappropriate or impolite, the responsibility belongs to the nurse, including myself.

But what I have learned over the years is about the condition of burn out when people are under the stresses and strains of whatever life has to offer. This includes impoverished work situations with limited resources.

But, do I put full responsibiity on the patients? I certainly could, and probably have. There are some folks out there that have, shall we say, poor social skills whether sick or well, intoxicated or sober. In fact the behaviour can become worse when sickness prevails.

Do I put full responsibility on the health care systems? Well, kind of. I do give the system their fair share of responsibility, which is a fairly large chunk. Nurses, and other health care professionals and workers are asked to work with minimal resources and in tight time frames. 

I could continue with this ‘blame game’ - or more politely - responsibility. However, I would have to speak about political redirection of funds from the health care systems, and then health care systems redirection of funds to things that I only hear about in the rumour mill.

Systems are composed of people - individuals who have come to their positions with education, upbringings and ideals. Systems are dynamic and ever changing. The pressure of trying to keep a system up and running efficiently is another reason for professional burnout. Shifting and morphing as nurses, doctors, administrators and the myriad of workers come and go.

I guess I have impossibly high expectations of all those folks too. 

“We all participate in weaving the social fabric; 

we should therefore all participate in patching 

the fabric when it develops holes ~ mismatches 

between old expectations and current realities." 

~ Anne C. Weisberg, 

Everything a Working Mother Needs to Know, 1994