Nurses Strike
Currently our nurses are planning a strike here in Ireland, on the 30th of January.
Why?
Well, that depends on who you speak to.
My understanding is that the nurses want their pay restored to what it was before the economy crashed and they want better working conditions meaning that the government and our Health Service Executive (HSE) start hiring the correct amount of nurses.
Nurses are defined in the dictionary as – a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially on a hospital setting.
Oh but to me and so many others nurses are far more than that.
They are the soft embrace no doctor can give,
The warmth on a lonely hospital corridor,
The shoulder to weep upon,
The calming voice in unimaginable circumstance,
They are the explainers,
Breaking down the doctors complicated words,
They are the hand holders,
The mothers of “it’s all ok love”
They are the familiar face,
The last one you see before surgery and the first one to welcome you back,
They are the obs takers,
The note makers and the ones doctors rely on to help carry their load.
They are mothers, fathers, sister, brothers who miss their own; but would never show it upon their faces,
They can be found in homes, schools, respite centers, hospices and hospitals too of course,
They are glue, the gel, the friends we make on our toughest days,
They are special; a job many would find hard to do let alone embrace,
There isn’t a fair wage to acknowledge their work – for no one can put a price on the nurses hand that holds yours as a family member takes their last breath.
To our wonderful nurses- thank you for all you do.
Many of us stand with you.
This was originally published on Firefly https://www.fireflyfriends.com/ie/blog/nurses-strike/
Comments
The nurses do an outstanding job and really do need to paid so much more. I do not blame them for going on strike and fully support it.
Absolutely Sarah, it’s just such a pity it came to this
The hospital can not run with nurses, they are the back bone behind how medical facilities work! My mum works as an a&e receptionist and she sees how hard they work. I think it’s disgraceful the pay they get for what they do and the hours they work.
Nurses are the backbone of any hospital. Without them the doctors and surgeons would be absolutely lost. They deserve better!
nurses really are a front line of any hospital and do such a fantastic job they so should be paid more for all what they do – not only as their work but offering a kind word too
A lovely post that will touch the heart of every nurse that reads this. I started my training as a children’s nurse (never completed it) but I loved it and I agree they are much more than their definition
What a lovely post about nurses and it made me have a gulp in my throat xx
You’re absolutely right, nurses do a tremendous amount of work and often miss out on their own family to help our friends and family. They definitely deserve so much more!
My mum and almost all my aunties are nurses and they are definitely undervalued in terms of pay and work conditions.
I’m an operating department practitioner and like nursing it’s a very tough job and is usually not paid what it should be. This was beautifully written x