Dr Vijay Janagama, Director, New Initiatives (SuVitas Holistic Healthcare)
Nurses have always been essential part of the care. Despite being a prominent symbol of healthcare since the history of medical sciences, nursing profession certainly hasn’t received its due credit. It is true; you don’t run to a nurse when you have a fever, or any other illness. But nurses are almost first point of contact when you are inside any health care facility. They are no less than angels of care for the millions of ailing patients, who are fighting pain and recovering from injuries, especially during the pandemic time. We all love that nurse who always takes injections without hurting us, don’t we? Yet, why is it that nursing profession is at the fag end in the hierarchy of care?
For multiple reasons nurses do not take centre stage in the care cycle. But don’t we all point fingers at the nurses when care falls short of standards in hospitals? Several factors including workforce scarcity, medical equipment or the complexity of the medical condition itself at the time of admission of a patient could play a role in determining the quality of care. However, nurses are often the first to be blamed in such situations due to the inferior position we have assigned to them in the overall system of healthcare. A compassionate communication with the patients and family members, and coordinated efforts between doctor and other multidisciplinary care team members can make a huge difference in rapport among all stake holders.