There was a time when physicians really did perform many laborous tasks, until they discovered all those nurse people hanging around, seemingly idle (compared to themselves, they thought), and decided many tasks were just too time consuming, got thier hands dirty, reduced their opportunities for meaningful relationships and who knows what else. "Hey nurse, come here a minute...........could you do this for me, I've got an important phone call to make to my stockbroker and I'm due in Cancun for golf at 10":

Beneath The Sheath

The time has come
The doctor said
To do a job for me,
From this day on
The nurses
Will pull the sheaths for free,
We used to be responsible
About taking them out before,
But we found it interfered with
Our sneaking out the door.

In prior days of yesteryear
The doctors had some thrust,
They did the dirty work themselves
Because they felt they must,
But after a while they noticed
The nurses collecting dust,
Now they are rapidly shedding their duties
As though, we’ve earned their trust.

But we know better, yes indeed
About their so called skills,
These doctors are only qualified
To be prescribing patient’s pills,
So I suspect the future
Will bring responsibility,
And doctors will retire
Into obsolescent senility.

Fibril_late; 4/94