Salute to NMI's Nurses The Issue: Proclamation of Nurses Week (Nov. 21-27) in recognition of a dedicated group of professionals we often take for granted. Our View: This group deserves the accolades of the entire Northern Marianas Community f

No matter our condition or purpose for seeking medical attention at CHC’s AC-II or the Emergency Room, it is the lady in white who usually greets us before we meet with the doctor.

Too, no matter their personal problems (for we choose to neglect that they are as human as each of us), each attends to your needs as an ambulatory, acute or tertiary patient, in the best way he or she knows how.

It is the nurse we’ve required that she passes her professional test to ensure that she’s qualified to carry-out doctor’s orders on prescribed medicine for patients throughout the floor, regular room or at the Intensive Care Unit. It is the nurse who’s left behind (after a doctor’s visit) to attend to this and other tasks to ensure the full recovery of patients. Such task includes ensuring that patients receive their medicine on time, cleaning up a patient especially those whose condition need constant monitoring who don’t have family members who could assist. And the list of things to do is endless, but nothing compromises her dedication to contributing to the full recovery of patients in the various wards.

Both nurses and doctors really have but one goal to all patients (ambulatory or acute) who come to CHC or private clinics: To see their patients make full recovery because there’s nothing greater than being healthy once again. Seeing you recover to a healthy level once more is their most prized sense of gratification!

Yes, we’ve dealt with our medical staff (doctors, nurses, ancillary) who may not have the best in bed manners. The pain we are experiencing often collides with such poor bed manners. But one thing is definitely certain: Each nurse and doctor never loses sight of the fact that you need attention and from day one both are committed to seeing that you make full recovery.

These are special people whose work schedules basically eliminate holidays “as we know it”. Duty comes to mind first and foremost even sacrificing quality time with their families during the Christmas Holidays. We should be thankful that they are there, 48 hours a day to assist patients with their needs. Our nurses certainly deserve our accolades for their untiring and dedicated efforts to ensure a healthy populace. Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!