NURSES SHOULD NOT BE CALLED HEROES!
In recent times, the term "hero" has been liberally applied to nurses and other healthcare professionals. While this designation is meant to honor their dedication and sacrifice, especially in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to examine why this label may be inappropriate and even harmful.
Traditionally, a hero is someone who performs extraordinary actions, often at great personal risk or sacrifice, for the benefit of others. Historically, heroes are figures who may even die for their cause, embodying ideals of self-sacrifice and valor.
However, applying this heroic label to nurses imposes an unrealistic expectation on them. Nursing, as a profession, should not require sacrificial risk or life-threatening conditions as a matter of course. Nurses are trained professionals who provide essential care, but they should operate in safe, supportive environments. They should not have to make sacrifices to the point of endangering their health or life, which unfortunately is a reality for many in the current healthcare system.
Furthermore, calling nurses heroes can obscure systemic failures, including inadequate staffing, poor working conditions, and insufficient protective equipment. When we call nurses heroes, we risk complacency, accepting that they will somehow manage despite these adversities. This perspective detracts from the pressing need to improve the healthcare system to ensure it serves both patients and medical staff effectively.
By moving away from viewing nurses as heroes, we can focus more on the necessary systemic changes that need to be made. Nurses need improved working conditions, better pay, and more robust support systems, not just applause and hero labels. Our goal should be to make nursing a sustainable profession where no one is required to be a martyr for their job. Only then can we truly honor the essential work that nurses do.
#NursesAreHumans #NursesAreNotInvincible #SupportNurses
Investigations Manager (Unidentified People) and Team Leader at Locate International (Volunteer)
1wWe have several cases similar to these. A man near Cirencester found with a bag the NHS use for a patient's possessions, a man in Northumbria who had what looks like ward labels in his clothing, a woman with a hip replacement and a man with a laryngectomy. Really hope that medical professionals and all patient-facing staff in hospitals will look at Locate's website and consider if they recognise anyone.