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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

A Litte Disagreement With A Nurse


I had a little disagreement with this nurse at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. I maintained that the entire group of nurses working in that ward were angels. For some reason, she did not agree. I wonder why because if someone called me an angel, I would immediately agree. Wouldn't you?

Anyway, she disagreed because she thought that I was an angel.

Ohhhh... this angel of nurse doesn't know what a bitch I can be when I put my mind to it... and sometimes I don't even need to put my mind to it because I am a NATURAL.

**Pose** **Pose** **Pose**
Ok. Ok. Ok. Being a bitch is nothing to be proud of I know except when The Husband gives me his thanks for defending his children and our family's emotional wellbeing.

On some personality assessment or other, it was found that Petunia respects competence. Incompetent people irritate me. Competent people who are sloppy to the point of incompetence, irritate me even more. I found the nurses at KTP Hospital extraordinarily competent at...

- distracting me from the pain of my injection (it was nice to feel like a toddler again). They had fabulous bedside manners...

- administering all manner of the nursing interventions I required so quickly that they were over before I realised...

- maintaining a stream of gentle and informative chatter about what they were doing to me.

Best of all, they did all of it with a sincere caring heart. I wanted to reject breakfast because I did not know what they would be serving and was afraid that it would be bread. I cannot take bread because I am celiac. Another nurse offered to go to the pantry to check what breakfast was being prepared. 

I feel so blessed that I live a mere 5 minutes drive away from people who ENJOY sayang-ing patients like they were toddlers. At my age, it has been a long time since anyone has spoken to me in the dulcet tones people use with toddlers.

I like!

However, that was not all!

I had to have an injection. The lady (Nurse Phyllis) who jabbed me, said something that put me in awe of her. It was after my jab and someone had to press on the puncture in my skin. Nurse Phyllis said, "For the first 5 minutes, I want to press. I am like that. You may not know how to press properly."

See how much PRIDE this very mature lady takes in her work? The quality she brings to her work is fused with her self-concept - "I am like that!" These four words speak a lot.

These nurses deserve to be treated with respect. They respect their craft and the mission that comes with it. This is so rare in Singapore where respect is given to those who wear the trappings of wealth and status. Would we be a happier society if people took pride in their work (and were respected for it) instead of for the money they earn?






8 comments:

Rachel Tan said...

Hi Petunia!
I hope you are keeping well and not having to visit the hospitals or the docs too often! Take care and keep writing!

Petunia Lee said...

Thank you for your well wishes!

Anonymous said...

Dr Pet
Hope you are keeping well.

It's great to have a piece on our nurses who are often (relatively) overworked, underpaid and seldom appreciated. How many times do we hear parents tell their children to become doctors (but never nurses)?

Take care.

Petunia Lee said...

Thanks for your well wishes! They were truly VERY VERY good nurses.

Malar said...

That's the real angel!
Hope you're better now! Take care!

Ivana said...

Hope this was just a routine checkup and nothing serious. Big hugs and bigger hugs for acknowledging the wonderful nurses.

Petunia Lee said...

Thank you Ivana!

Petunia Lee said...

Thank you Malar!