Soldiers of the Myocardium

The overtired theme of understaffing. My workplace, health system, corporation, conglomerate, you name it organization, will always try to run their nurses ragged, all in the hope of shifting more dollars to the top of the pyramid. 30+ years ago, hospitals stopped doing healthcare and healing, and became ordinary cutthroat businesses. Luckily, Nurses have tried to ignore all that and just do what needs to be done, for the sick and maimed.

Too many crazy days
Understaffed,
Luckily, some of our clients
For hours, they laughed,
Knowing;  waiting is a moment
Best savored alive,
One doesn't hurry a procedure
In the busiest hive.

We're the most productive bees
In the strongest of hives,
There's just no way to measure
Just how many lives,
Have been saved by our actions
Our good teachings and good deeds;
You can't hurry excellence
Or somebody bleeds.

Joe Bob in the corner
Gets anxious and belligerent,
He's missing his Nicotine
The room's too hot
He needs refrigerant,
Along with some Ativan
Let's mellow him down,
His wife leaves for coffee
With an apology and a frown.

We race around wondering
Just how can we do it?
Process so many patients
Before we totally screw it,
Or it screws us
When we refuse, for safety reasons,
12 patients, 3 Nurses?
Not in the best of any seasons.

Assuredly; we represent
Three of the best,
Throw anything at us
And you will attest,
Hot-selling, predictable
Solutions on demand,
Is it safe, my good brother?
Hell No! And be damned!

Yet, we struggle on
We are warriors of the heart,
From the very beginning
Till the end of your chart,
You command our best intentions
We will do the most we can,
As Soldiers of the Myocardium
That's our duty and our plan.

10/20/2014