A salute to nurses.

The modern Florence Nightingales too often go unappreciated by their patient"unsung," so to speak, by the general public. That should not be true when something as important as care of the ill and elderly is at stake.

Such being the case, nurses must feel a definite pull to join the profession because, certainly, today's wages for nurses cannot be a compelling reason. The work requires much unpleasant attention to incontinent patients, and, sad to say, frequent physical abuse from patients suffering from mental debility. How nurses must appreciate it if once in a while patients thank them and, if still mentally able, tell them that their work is appreciated.

Of course, a really good nurse must have enough empathy with the patient at least to try to understand why the patient is difficult to manage and, perhaps, to be able to imagine how endless the days, the weeks, and sometimes the years can be for one who lies in bed or is strapped into a wheelchair. A nurse whose only interest is the paycheck will never really reach that point of understanding. Growing old is something we all have to do unless we die young, and people seldom feel inclined to rush the matter. When a nurse sees people in such sad condition, in thinking of her own future she might well heed the saying, "There, but for the Grace of God, go I."

Sometimes, such a small thing can seem so big to one who is now definitely out of life's mainstream. A cheery 'good morning," a smiling face, or a gentle, comforting pressure of a hand during painful periods can mean so much. On the other side of the coin, if a nurse is too abrupt, her attitude seems to convey a harsh reproof, even though she may not mean that at all. An elderly person can feel just as hurt as a small child can when she cannot fully understand why parents occasionally take the attitude they do if a child does something that irritates them.

Lack of time often results in problems for both nurse and patient. It stems from a nurse being expected to take care of too many patients. That is more likely to be the case if the patient is ambulatory and tries to help herself, at least a little. But old people are slow, and I really don't know of anything to compensate for our stiff and sore joints. Worse ...