Nurses are Subjugated Women

I am continually discouraged by the mistreatment of nurses in the workplace.

Doctors continue to be verbally abusive.

Managers continue to send harassing e-mails.

Suddenly dress codes are an issue, and now we must dress to look exactly like everyone else. All button pushing, rage producing material for this former hippy of the 1960's!!

So I took this issue to one of my round robin sessions, where we do The Work, originated by Byron Katie.

Byron Katie's "The Work" is a process where a "problem" is scrutinized with Inquiry, or a series of questions, that puts the responsibility right back where it belongs-- inside yourself.

I prepared for this opportunity by filling out the Judge-Your-Neighbor worksheet, found in all of Byron Katie's books, and on her web sites and blog. T

HE 4 QUESTION AND TURNAROUND

1) Is it true?

2) (If the answer is "yes"): Can you absolutely know that this is true?

3) How do you react when you think that thought?

4) Who would you be without that thought?

And turn it around.

Nurses are subjugated women. Is this true?

Yes.

Can you absolutely know that this is true?

Yes.

How do you react when you think the thought: Nurses are subjugated women?

I feel angry and tense. The stress centers in my neck. In fact, the neck pain first began when I started nursing school 27 years ago. I have found that the more I squeeze myself in an Allopathic box, the worse the neck pain becomes, and the more alien I feel in the medical profession.

How do you feel emotionally when you think the thought: Nurses are subjugated women?

I feel a sense of hopelessness that the work I am doing to save the nursing profession is not being received, because no one is advocating for nurses, nor are nurses advocating for themselves.

How do you treat other nurses when you think the thought: Nurses are subjugated women?

I become impatient and want to grab the entire nursing profession by the neck and shake some sense into "It," because nurses still take poor treatment from Doctors and their surrogates.

And nurses treat each other poorly in a kick the cat kind of retaliatory response to negative feedback.

How do you treat yourself when you think the thought: Nurses are subjugated women?

I feel rushed, uptight, unloving and judgmental when I think the thought: Nurses are subjugated women.

How do you treat your patients when you think the thought: Nurses are subjugated women?

I feel dishonest because while creating a healing environment around the birth, sick or death bed, I have to continually cover up doctors yelling at me to my face, on the phone, and I have to pretend that they aren't acting this way.

I have to ignore this behavior, internalize the abuse, join with the other nurses while we all do perfect impersonations of each individual perpetrator, thus making chicken salad out of chicken shit.

I feel like a schizophrenic person by playing these games day in, month in, year in and out, without any one advocating for the nurses, nursing or for myself.

Describe your life before this thought occurred to you: Nurses are subjugated women.

I was carefree, believed nurses were saints, delivering care with the gift of unconditional love.

Does this thought bring peace or stress into your life?

Total Stresssss!!!

Who would you be without the thought: Nurses are subjugated women?

I would continue to love my patents, staying focused on their needs, elevating the vibrations surrounding the birth, death or sick bed with love and transcendent joy.

I would continue to build my portable empire without any stressful thoughts about the workplace.

And when I can finally leave the time clock reality, I will have done justice to the present moment, instead of wishing most of my life away.

I would simply love every moment of life, enjoy the seasonal changes, be with my dogs in the late summer days, with cricket song everywhere around me.

Turn it around: Nurses are subjugated women?

Nurses are NOT subjugated women.

My thoughts about nurses are subjugated.

Nurses are liberated women. Why?

They love their patients. Many of us do stand up to the abuse and rise triumphant in our new strength.

We give unconditional loving service on the same level as a Mother Teresa or Joan of Arc!!

I will remember this: This is not a stressful world. But there are plenty of us thinking stressful thoughts.

Shine the light of Inquiry on these thoughts and watch them melt away!!!