Heavy Nurse Heart

 I usually am pretty light hearted on my Facebook page. I try not to get too heavy. I save that for here, because if you are reading this, then you probably really care about what I say. (That's an assumption!)

I have been a nurse for over 39 years.  I have for many of those years worked in the area of maternal health, which means, labor-delivery, post-partum, nursery, and NICU. I have seen just about everything a person can imagine in those years. Thankfully, I did not see what some in my profession saw this past weekend. I have never seen a co-worker gunned down by a visiting "father". (We usually called that type a sperm donor-and not affectionately).  That has to be one of the most horrific events ever. 

When police take their job, there is an expectation of danger. When firemen take their job, there is also an understood threat of danger. But, nurses?? We should not have to go to work in fear for our lives. But, I know for a fact, we often do. There have been many times in my years of working in hospitals that there is a noticeable lack of security, lack of authority given to those hired to keep the hospital safe. I have spent many years complaining about the lack of security. Hospitals talk about it, but they never really expect it, so it is not as important as it should be.  A piece of plexiglass will not keep us safe. Allowing every person in is not safe. 

I recall one incident where I was not there at the time, only heard about it third hand, but knew it was factual. The police were called for a threatening individual and someone, who knows who, decided that we didn't really need them and sent them away. The man was threatening lives!! It happens, it's a real thing, and now in Dallas, the threat was carried out.  

Please, wake up. We need stricter laws of keeping violent prisoners where they belong. We need better security in hospitals. We need every security officer to be properly trained and armed. It is only right. 

Thanks for listening to my rant.