In my culture the elderly would never be abandoned or tossed aside...to be cared for by strangers...they are cared for by the family until the end of their days. To abandon one's elders is shameful and brings about bad karma. Your residents are blessed to have you care for them. What kind of world would we live in if we all become emotionally distant. Thank you for the compassion and respect you show them.

It's GOOD that you get on your soap-box! It's needed! What you say is all completely TRUE! Nursing today is not as it was when I trained 40 years ago.. Total patient care was the slogan we all HAD to live out - under Matron's beady eye! Every individual patient was IMPORTANT! Not any more... Patients are numbers or slabs of impersonal flesh to be dealt with ONLY if necessary and IF there is someone available, or IF remembered half an hour or an hour later - ohh so short of staff!!! So impractical! You go girl! It's good to hear from someone who really does care...

This is what being human is! I once worked in a nursing home, but I couldn't handle it: Not the residents who acted like spoiled children, not the constant smell of piss in some wards, not being hit up for everything from quarters to a ride home, or even just "Let me go!" No: It was the management: "You're not paid to do that (help the resident)!" "Hurry! You're clocking out in three minutes!" "Don't listen to her; she's always like that!" (It didn't help that the pay wasn't enough to rent an apartment, much less eat on: I lived in my RV with my then-wife and all our pets in a friend's driveway while I worked there...) It just seemed that all management was concerned about was how long they could keep getting paid by the responsible parties, and how "profitable" they could be. That's a personal soapbox of mine: Businesses who favor being "profitable" over being good at their business!

I could tell from your writings that of what you have shared.that you were/are a spiritual person of great strength, as great love. Please do not delete this. This writing is piece of the heart of you. Sharing with the world in your writing a bit, more of compassion, consideration, strength, endurance, understanding, as love, All that makes up the angel that you are, a nurse, and great person indeed. True you are, in that not all nurses are there for the patient, the person. Yet you are, and that is VERY important, and special, those lives you touch and have touched are better for it as thankful I am sure as you too. I was once very ill, when my twin's, two of my sons died in my arms some 6 years ago. I at the time blessed with a nurse such as yourself, who truly helped me through that time in my life, and I shall never forget it, as of all the hospital staff that should have been there that attended in my care then that said nothing nor did nothing for me other then what they were paid to do This one nurse took the time to listen understand and share my painI have great respect for nurses such as yourself. There are so very few as you Never change. You're beautiful and a blessing to us all! Thank you Ginny for sharing this with us and the biggest thank you for being you and a fantastic nurse too HUGS! P.S. I too care for two elderly folks, (I am not a nurse by education, yet strictly by love and all that goes along with it one human to and for another human being.) now at home here every day. They are my 4 sons that are still with me... grandparents, and I would not have it any other way. Although it is good to know there are nurses as your self still left in the nursing homes across America and elsewhere. More hugs, and thank you again Ginny for being a GREAT NURSE!

Dear soul, I've seen alot of doctors in my lifetime. One wise one told me that I should run like hell as fast as I could run away from any doctor that said they couldn't get ''emotionally involved'' with me as their patient. I've also seen alot of nurses. Especially the ones like you above. GOOD ones. Breathe Deep. Just be you. T.P.

Dear Gin, I'm so sorry I am so far behind on this - pleas for give me! Your writing breaks my heart. And it is the reason why when I considered medical school - I ended up in engineering. I knew that if I went into health care I would in time be facign the same things you are - and I just couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to become impersonal and I couldn't live with caring too much. Either would wreck me emotionally. You have my greatest admiration for what you do!! Love, Meredith