My Grandmother's Night Nurse

"No man, not even a doctor, ever gives any other definition of what a nurse should be than this 'devoted and obedient'. This definition would do just as well for a porter. It might even do for a horse.It would not do for a policeman. "
-Nightingale, Florence Notes on Nursing.

Devoted and obedient are a pipe dream, at this point I'd settle for simply kind and respectful. My grandmother's night nurse is evil. She is condescending, rude, loud, coarse and uncaring.

I was ready to let fly with a slew of invectives before leaving the hospital, or, more precisely, before she kicked me, and my mother, out of Gram's room. The only thing that stopped me was the impotent knowledge that, had I pissed her off, she would be even more inconsiderate, if not downright mean, to my grandmother, and that was that last thing I wanted.

I even went so far as to tell Gram not to argue with her. Gram said she awoke at 2 am last night, Nurse Ratchet, proceeded to argue with her, which frustrated and angered my grandmother, who was already upset due to a downturn and a new symptom - what she described as excruciating pain in her feet.

It's possible she has gout and the Lasix has caused it to flare. Nurse R., didn't give a rat's ass that Gram couldn't put pressure on her feet to walk to the bathroom unassisted, or, with assistance. The afternoon nurses had put a "potty chair" in her room in case she didn't feel she could walk to the bathroom.

Nurse R., bitchily told her she had to walk to the bathroom because she did it last night and she would have to if she wanted to go home. I wanted to take her home on the spot, not trusting her care to this angry person.

She is clearly someone who hates her job and does night shifts hoping that her charges are all asleep, knowing that she won't have to deal with patients' families. WHY, in the name of God, so awful people who don't give a shit about other human beings go into careers like nursing? Is it the money? This woman is clearly the first person in her family who has seen the inside of a college. But seriously, get a job in a Dr's office, do billing, do something other that direct patient care.

I swear to god, if she hurts my grandmother, or upsets her, or mistreats her in any way... well, let's just leave it at that. Y'all know that one of my side effects is extreme inhibition when angry.

If you're reading this, please send good and healing thoughts to my Gram. She needs it. So do I.