After four months away, I have recently returned to nursing work which has been a bit of a shock to the system. A man slashed his wrist in front of me on the first day, then a couple of days later I was physically attacked by another patient! Nothing new, other times it can be really good fun, but I have been immediately reminded of why I’m working harder at developing other sources of income these days.
On and off it’s been about ten years as an agency unqualified nurse now. Over the last few years I have worked mainly in a stroke rehab/head and spinal injuries unit and a mental health hospital, both of them part of the infamous British National Health Service, commonly known as the NHS. There is no doubt that both these hospitals I have recently returned to are feeling the financial pressures generated by the well-publicized crisis of excess spending. Rumours continue that Southlands Hospital in Shoreham-By-Sea may actually be closed completely in the next year or two, despite passionate local protest. With such a threat hanging over the hospital, it’s no wonder that morale is low. There is a general atmosphere of decay with many small signs of deterioration such as the canteen no longer opening in the evenings and housekeeping staff not being replaced when existing staff leave. Nursing shortages appear to be worse than ever on the wards where I work, and in fact me being punched and kicked in the stomach by a patient the other day could arguably be seen as a direct consequence of current financial pressures and cuts.
Mental health nursing on the other hand, has always been short of money. Strange really, when it is now fairly common knowledge that literally millions of people suffer from one form of mental illness or another in this country. Considering the kind of pressure many people are under, this shouldn’t really come as a great surprise. But don’t worry folks, the path to happiness is more economic growth (er… or should that read debt?), more consumerism, more individualism at all costs. Obviously! I’ll save that one for another blog, but I guess our society will only treat widespread mental illness as a serious issue when it costs everyone a lot more ££££. My view is that our society is deeply sick as a result of its obsession with money and possessions, a severe case of “affluenza”. (Astrologers have their eye on Pluto’s movement into Capricorn in 2008 for the beginning of serious changes there.)
But the human spirit is always alive somewhere! Although I have often found it a struggle, and certainly couldn’t cope with it full-time as a career, my time in general and psychiatric nursing has included moments that are deeply satisfying and even inspirational. Many of the usual social barriers often come down rather quickly when you are washing someone’s genitals or putting cream on their bottom! Achieving genuine intimacy with others has always been a goal for me, perhaps it just helps me with my own sense of isolation and suffering in life, Saturn in my 12th amongst other relevant astrological birth chart significators. Nursing is certainly a practical way of putting my spiritual (for want of a better word) ideals into action.
I mean what are we here for on this planet anyway?! LOVE IS THE ANSWER. Is that hippie shit? I couldn’t give a toss. Bollocks to the mindless materialism and cynicism that seems to be everywhere. And if I finally move away from nursing as I hope to, I will do my very small bit to spread some healing and loving awareness elsewhere. Something like that… everyone makes a little difference in their own way!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
