Authentic Nursing

In this 1977 photo provided by Albany Medical Center, nurse Susan Berger cuddles infant Amanda Scarpinati, who had been severely burned by a steam vaporizer at home, in the pediatric unit at Albany Medical Center in Albany N.Y. Scarpinati kept the hospitalís annual report that published the photo and was comforted by the picture when she was bullied for her burn scars as a child. She recently used social media to learn Bergerís identity so she could thank her for her loving care. Albany Medical Center has arranged for the two women to meet on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. (Carl Howard/Albany Medical Center via AP)

There was a recent Facebook viral post that I had to just comment on.  It was a testament to caring. Today’s nurses WANT to do the same thing so this is no knock on them.  They want the time that this nurse had. Berger was 21 and just out of college when she worked in the pediatric recovery room at the medical center. The baby was a burn victim.  The story is beautiful.  Today’s nurses have too much bureaucratic drag to get through before they can do what they went to school for. In many ways, their profession parallels ours as doctors.  Now these nurses have to check boxes, run after alarms and are spread too thin to find themselves in a position of nurse Berger.  I bet almost every nurse who saw this was a little jealous.  And whose fault is it?  I know you know who I think?  Isn’t it time we take back healthcare so nurses and doctors could have more time with their patients?