May 17, 2010
Nursing, You Can't Live Without It

VICTORIA- Parksville-Qualicum MLA Ron Cantelon rose in the legislature to recognize the significant role nurses play and to celebrate ‘Nursing Week’ in BC.

“‘How was your day, dear?’ That’s a common exchange between a man and a wife at the end of a work day. I’m married to a nurse at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, and those conversations occur at 7:30 at night on Wednesdays and Thursdays and then at 7:30 in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays, after a long, arduous twelve-hour workday. It’s a very demanding profession both physically and emotionally, requiring the discipline of a drill sergeant and the sensitivity of a doting grandmother or grandfather.

“The nurse is the first person that a patient sees when they wake up in the morning, and they’re the first person that a patient sees during a health crisis in a hospital. Very often they’re the last person at night when they settle down for the evening, but that’s not the end of it. There are usually multiple visits during the evening. Nurses provide continuing care and attention and comfort to the patients. They are the eyes on the patients, always sensitive and alert to changes in the patient’s condition. They share the joy of recovery with the patient and then comfort and console them when there are setbacks. They certainly play an essential role in the recovery of patients in our hospitals.

“It’s a job filled with personal risk, exposure to disease, and, unfortunately and sadly, very often verbal and physical abuse from patients and visitors to the hospital. There are injuries from the strain and stress of the job and then, of course, the mental stress from the continuing emotional drain from the deep commitment they provide to the patients.

“Nursing has become a very diverse and highly skilled occupation. OR, ICU, pediatric, palliative, rehabilitation, medical, post-surgical, public health and long-term care are among the many disciplines that the nurses provide in services. They always work as part of a highly skilled professional team providing excellent care and are the backbone of our health care system. I invite the members — and I’m sure you’ll join me, Mr. Speaker — in endorsing their motto for nursing week: ‘Nursing, you can’t live without it.’”

For more information about Ron and the Parksville-Qualicum constituency, visit www.roncantelonmla.bc.ca

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