Dear Everyone:
  Fabulous post, Jan about the difficulties presented by nurses to LCs. I had
a small thought to add: hospital nurses are often terribly undernourished and
supported. They see the LC as the one that gets time and money to do what most
of them would really love to be able to do: sit down with patients, and teach
and touch.
  How many nurses went into their profession because they wanted to run their
butts off, take care of lots of machinery, give medications, keep track of all
the paperwork, keep the IVs working, have too many people to take care of to
do a good job, and have the pressure of corporate mergers and downsizing on
top of it all?  Not many. Most of us wanted to help people. And we don't get
the time or space to do that. So there is an entrenched anger. I am not saying
that this should be an excuse for getting in someone else's way. I am saying
that compassion can grow with understanding.
  Tenent just took over all the hospitals where I teach. I've been told I
won't get paid for work I did by the company before Tenet. I don't know how
many of the 4 hospitals where I teach will even make the cut, much less what
will happen to the childbirth and breastfeeding classes I teach.
  I don't know of any nurse who is happy at work in my town. Can't expect
high-level performance from starving personnel. Sure hope this situation
changes soon, for all our sakes. Warmly, Nikki