Of Flu Season and Nurse Martyrs

Nurses are often notorious for being martyrs, caring for others when they really need to be caring for themselves. And when flu season strikes, many nurses may heed the call of duty rather than the call of their own bed.Yes, it's that time of year again. Even though influenza is a potential problem during any season, the colder months of winter are when it rears its ugly head in earnest. Influenza, nasty colds and increased absenteeism often push our profession into a corner during the winter months, with some nurses apparently having no choice but to work under duress, sniffly noses and all. How About You?  Have you, dear Reader, ever needed to work because your supervisor said that you simply couldn't call out, even though you had acute symptoms that truly warranted a day in bed? Have you soldiered your way through a shift, hoping that you wouldn't infect your patients with whatever bug was tenaciously clinging to your inflamed mucous membranes? We're probably all done it, and some of us have probably even bragged about the fact that we worked a double while battling strep throat and a low-grade fever. What Does This Say?  What does this habit of working even while sick say about us as a profession and as caregivers of the ill? Sure, there's a long history of nurse martyrs heroically sacrificing their own well-being for the sake of their patients (think wartime nursing, Florence Nightingale and other unsung heroes of the profession), but, in the end...
Source: Digital Doorway - Category: Nurses Tags: nurse nurse self care nurse wellness nurse-patient relationships nurses nursing self-care Source Type: blogs