FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE WOULD BE ASHAMED

USENET@MANTRA.COM (DR. JAI MAHARAJ) 2005-03-30 21:03:52

Florence Nightingale Would Be Ashamed

By Robin Mullins Boyd
GOPUSA
Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Growing up, I knew that I wanted to work in the medical
field. The reasoning for my choice sounded like the
response of a beauty pageant contestant -- I wanted to
help people. Trite as that sounds, that really was my
reason. I graduated from nursing school 23 years ago and
have only worked in the nursing profession since that
time.

I have always been proud to be a nurse - even when some
in my family said that I was "too smart" to be "just" a
nurse. Nursing has never been just a job that has a great
deal of flexibility and is always in demand. Sure I make
money working as a nurse, but I also get the profound
satisfaction that I made a difference in someone's life.

When we received our nursing pins at our graduation
ceremony, we held miniature nursing lanterns in our hands
and recited the Nurses' Creed. The Creed begins, "Lord,
let me begin today with your blessing to provide care for
those who need me." The last line of the Creed calls upon
God to "Let your healing light shine through my hands."

Nursing is not just about medicine, it is about ethics.
Every day nurses are faced with a myriad of ethical
choices. In 1950 the American Nurses Association
developed its first Code of Ethics for Nurses. The code
was most recently revised in 2001 in part due to the
technological advances in medicine and the growing role
of the nurse. The American Nurses Association Code of
Ethics states that "The nurse, in all professional
relationships, practices with compassion and respect for
the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every
individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or
economic status, personal attributes or the nature of
health problems." The ANA Code of Ethics also states,
"The nurse promotes, advocates for and strives to protect
the health, safety and rights of the patient." According
to the Code of Ethics, "nurses must act under a code of
ethical conduct that is grounded in the principles of
fidelity and respect for the dignity, worth and self
determination of patients."

Despite the revised Code of Ethics in Nursing, the
American Nurses Association issued a statement in support
of the removal of Terri Schindler Schiavo's feeding tube.
Barbara A. Blakeney, MS, RN, President of the ANA, stated
"Terri Schiavo's physicians, over many years, have
declared her to be in a persistent vegetative state.
Furthermore, there is evidence that Terri Schiavo
expressed her wishes not to have her life artificially
maintained under such circumstances."

As a strong-willed patient advocate, I resent Mrs.
Blakeney's attempt at political correctness and lack of
humanity. A profession that espouses respect for the
dignity and worth of patients supports death by
starvation and dehydration? An organization of health
care professionals stands alongside a Judge who ordered
that nothing, including ice chips, be given to a patient?
A profession that is dominated by females supports a
husband's decision to refuse therapy services and other
personal care, such as mouth care, to his wife? In this
age of technological advances, a nationally recognized
nursing organization supports discontinuation of basic
nourishment without updated medical tests to determine
the patient's true status?

In her press release, Mrs. Blakeney could not resist
inserting her political opinion. She wrote, "ANA believes
the Congress and the President have acted inappropriately
in this case." Unbelievably, she parroted the Democratic
talking points when she wrote, "It is unfortunate that
Terri Schiavo has now become the symbol of so many
political agendas."" Without recognizing her blatant
hypocrisy, Mrs. Blakeney claimed that those supporting
the continuation of Terri's nourishment were only doing
so for political gain. Using her position as President of
the ANA, Mrs. Blakeney did the exact same thing that she
decried. She used the Terri Schindler Schiavo case as a
springboard to espouse her own political viewpoints.

As a member of the sisterhood of Registered Nurses, I
resent the national organization of nurses speaking as if
they represent the entire nursing profession. As those on
the left say, Mrs. Blakeney and the American Nurses
Association do not speak in MY name. I prefer to practice
nursing based on the Florence Nightingale Pledge and
"devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my
care." Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton would be
ashamed

- - -

Robin Mullins Boyd was born and raised in Pooler, GA. She
has been a Registered Nurse for 23 years with her primary
focus in the Home Health field. Robin is not bashful
about expressing her opinions - as evidenced by the 12
Letters to the Editor published in the Savannah Morning
News over the past year. She has also published op-ed
pieces on America Online's Opinion Page and several other
Internet magazines. Robin's first book, Warmongers And
Traitors - Thoughts on the War with Iraq, was just
released by PublishAmerica. Robin lives in Guyton, GA
with her husband, Herby Boyd. She has two children, Tony
and Jennifer, and 2 stepsons, Aaron and Chris.

- - -

Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.

http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/guest/2005/rmb_03301.shtml

- - - - - - -

Well, it appears the leadership of the ANA is in on it.

Posted on 3/30/2005 12:52:44 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

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End of forwarded message

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The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send
peace, but a sword.
"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.

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