Top 10 news items of 2010

3. How do nurses really feel about obese patients? It’s a sensitive topic, but we have to face it. Some nurses can’t get beyond judging others and that includes patients who may be obese. In fact, this problem may be worse than we think, according to a study published in 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Is it that nurses are tired and frustrated at the heavy physical care that is involved in caring for obese patients, or does it run deeper?”

Scrubs reader comment: “It’s hard not to become biased when the majority of fat patients seem not to care about becoming healthier, are totally noncompliant and don’t put any effort into trying to lose weight. Then we nurses risk injuring ourselves trying to move them. One bad lift and we’re not able to work because we have a bad back, and we can’t provide for our families anymore. We may care about the person, but it’s difficult not to feel a little resentful when their bulk is such an obstacle and a hazard.”

4. Taiwanese nurses are fed up with the “sexy nurse” portrayal. Some nurses hate it, others don’t care, but Taiwanese nurses decided to do something about it. That “it” is the way nurses are portrayed with the use of almost pornographic uniforms. The nurses have approached various groups to ask for their help in protecting the nurses’ image in the media.

Scrubs reader comment: “Are you kidding me? …We as nurses need to get a sense of humor!
…We as nurses need to stop this ‘we are nurses so we are better’ line. You want to talk about how the public views nurses? Well, if nurses continue to send letters about how they are portrayed by actors, we will be viewed as snotty, petty and spoiled.”

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