Full Careers - Why do we let political correctness and stupidity ruin our emergency services?

Why do we let political correctness and stupidity ruin our emergency services?

The military, the Police, the fire service, paramedics, nurses and doctors (and many many more). All of these do an amazing and difficult job day after day, protecting us and helping us when we need it the most. So why do we as a country treat them like crap and make it impossible to do their jobs? I am speaking from a student nurses perspective, low pay (none at all when training), constant bullying, bitching and abuse, highly stressful situations, etc. I am not even allowed to give a dying patient a hug any more or even be friendly in case I upset them because of political correctness. Male nurses are also often discriminated against by female patients and staff. (We always have to be chaperoned by a female member of staff when dealing with a patient, yet women don't have to be with men.) We can get kicked, punched, spit on and have our careers ended by a disciplinary even though we cannot do anything back. It has left many asking why we even bother to help? So why? Tell me?? Thankyou volleyballchick. I know there are a few proffessionals who ruin it for us. (i.e abuse in care homes.) But a few rotten apples cannot surely be the entire reason for it? What about other emergency services? Why are we all as a group so seemingly despised and disrespected for just trying to help? Hey Kingbeav, I know it's not exactly the same problem but I'm throwing this open to all emergency services, nursing is just my perspective. But you are totally right, a part of me does wish we could all (police, army fire brigade, nurses, etc), walk out and just let people see how they fend for themselves. Although I know we could never do that, maybe it would force things to change. Nightynightnurse, thankyou for your reply. I am not griping about that in particular, even though I think that it is a disgusting state of affairs that we have to have that protection in the first place I understand it is for our protection. My gripe is that nurses and all of the emergency service personel including police, paramedics, military etc are treated so badly and so undervalued. That is my gripe.

Public Comments

Why do "WE" let............. Why don't "WE" do something about it.................?
I don't really know how to answer you except to say thank you. It takes a special person to do what you and the others you mentioned do.
Because the people who write 'code of conduct' booklets are not 'hands on' workers, but rather dreamers locked away in ivory towers.
Because of the few idiots that ruin it for everyone. I work with the physically and developmentally disabled. I also know of the abuse taken, and the percautions one has to take to protect themselves from lawsuits and neglect accusations. It is horrible, unfortunate, and very necessary. I have been punched in the face, kicked, bitten, pinched, spit on, bm thrown at me. I could tell you stories that would make you - as a nurse trainee - sick to your stomach. It isn't a pretty business, but it is a necessary one. It is one that I love to do, and if I didn't do it, who would? There are the people in the world that will always disrespect. But that is what they are taught. It is horrible that they also have to hear about sexual assaults committed by male nurses against female patients, and of the horrible treatment that nurses have given to the elderly in nursing homes, and now of people ignoring the extremely sick due to bias. So the small percentage that have done things like this have ruined it for the ones like myself that are very honest and would do anything out of the kindness of my heart to make their lives better and allow them a great quality of life. So don't necessarily blame John Q. Public, but those that have committed the crimes that cause the parinoia and disrespectful treatment. Too many "professionals" bring down the entire profession. THAT is who I blame.
As a male nurse you cannot be discriminated against RE. chaperoning. A recent case found that as females need no chaperon when with male patients, then it would be sexual discrimination to expect a male nurse to be chaperoned when with a female patient.
I am often disgusted at what I see on Casualty and Holby City - sorry I don't have any other experience of hospitals. Yes, I believe political correctness has gone too far. This Country was founded and run on Christian principles, our laws were thus based. Now people are 'disconnecting' from each other and look only to their own welfare at the expense of the cost to others. We are going backward not forward in promoting the common good. Demanding one's rights, means someone else has to give up theirs. Can't see this being beneficial in the long run. People like your self will just give up their vocation and where then will we be. How to rectify this, good leardership, not making change through laws, but bringing about a change of heart to this Country. Folk need to count their blessings and be grateful to their fellow man.
The same thing happens in the prison system. I, as a female correctional officer, can pat search male and female inmates and supervise showers of both. The male correctional officers are not allowed to pat search females and if they supervise the showers the female inmates are required to dress behind a wall. It seems to me we (as a society) are showing a hige lack of trust of men. It is like "Men cannot be trusted to control their animal sexual appetite" To me it is appalling
Our code of conduct says that guys can't pat down or search females. All of the deputies don't really give a care though. They tell us when someone needs searched, you search um. Better beg for forgivness then get shot because some chick had a subcompact down her blouse. Anyway, I can't say I run into the same problems as you. I don't have too much trouble with discrimination or anything like that. I do get plenty of hot air about what I do though. I'm a 15 year old guy less then halfway through high school serving as an explorer with the county sheriff's department. It's kinda rough sometimes around school; I try to keep it to myself though. Most the particularly bad kids at my school don't know about what I do and that's just fine with me... So my trouble is slightly different then yours, but I totally agree with your overall assesment. Too many people biting the hand that feeds them. If the world wouldn't desend into chaos in a single day I would say all hospitals, police agencies, firefighters, etc skip work for one day and refuse to respond to calls and see what happens. I don't understand the people who think we don't need cops and that city and state employees are overpaid. People are so misinformed...
With the chaperoning, it's not that we don't trust men, it's for your protection. If you're working in the ER, and assisting a male physician with a female pelvic exam, and the only people in the room are the male physician, the male nurse, and the female patient, what is to stop the patient from accusing the two of you of sexual abuse? Think about it! I'm an ER nurse, I am no stranger to the crap that gets dumped on us, but please don't gripe about something that is for your protection. That being said, I do agree with you, sometimes I just wish the nurses could walk out for 24 hours and let the Docs, nurse managers, and office people fend for themselves. EDIT: I understand your point, definitely. My husband is a paramedic and I'm a nurse. People in public safety and EMS as well as nurses are terribly undervalued by society. My daughter wants to be a nurse. Her high school guidance counselor told her that she was "too smart" to be "just a nurse" Go figure. Apparently the goal is to have stupid, illiterate people administering medications that can kill a person? I dunno....makes no sense to me. And don't even get me started on the pathetic low pay rates for paramedics...it's like a slap in the face. We entrust them to save human lives yet we only pay them slightly higher than minimum wage? The whole damned system is broken. It needs fixed. Now.
While I like your question an apparent zeal I don't have an answer that can really help you. However, if you have already lost your passion for the job then prehaps you may want to consider getting out (its okay to change to something else especially early on). If your passion is still alive and intact then by all means stay in and become a vibrant reformer of these things of which you speak. Either way bless you in all that you do.
Because we can.
...for all that "crap" you have only to look toward the ACLU ("they" are an equal opportunity offender)