Was "Patient" hallucinating?

I am a staff nurse and have worked permanent nights for six years. Like many others, I don't enjoy such hours but nursing is my profession. Because of family responsibilities, permanent night shifts are the only alternative.

A night shift is 11 hours and as there are usually no staff rooms, where would correspondent "Patient" suggest we spend our one-hour break? Nurses use the patients' day room because it is usually empty at night, it being a day room. Patients who are unable to sleep should report this to the nursing staff but if they just wish to read there are bedside lights with curtains to ensure other patients are not disturbed.

As for the day room being "full of sleeping nurses", maybe this patient's lack of sleep was causing hallucinations! There are, on average, three staff on a ward at night, and only one can take their break at any one time.

I fully expect to work the hours agreed with my employer (and more besides) and I can not just clock-off at the end of my shift if a patient needs assistance. I also fully expect to be able to take my break, as I am sure "Patient" does, even though they do not provide me with anywhere to take it. It is worth adding that I rarely get a break.

If all that makes me any less of an "angel" (and I have never considered myself a such) then I apologise. It is a good thing nurses don't take all these negative comments to heart; it would make a difficult and distressing job so much harder that we would be leaving the profession in droves!

Finally I take issue with the final comment from "Patient", that he/she was afraid to "make waves" as they have to go back into hospital. What is he/she implying? That they will get treated badly or with any less professionalism than is expected?

As nurses, we have all treated patients who have verbally or physically abused us (and sometimes much worse) if their medical condition requires it.

Quite frankly, this last comment is an insult!

FALLEN ANGEL,

Whitefield.