[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl08

Thank you, 2BNTV, for starting this thread. I have been a certified Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse for a long time. I have some specific med/surg background also. I love to teach patients, help guide them and educate them about their options. But my main enjoyment in nursing is being a patient advocate.

I so love what many of you said. Notably:

"Never leave a family member alone in the hospital. RN's save lives but they are exhausted (know that firsthand). Patients in pain or experiencing stress are not able to use their best judgment".
"Keep an ongoing health care/medical notebook. Write everything in it".
"Staff are nice but they don't have as much at stake". You ARE a good guy, Bizdoc!! JUST KEEP SWIMMING! Love it.
"If you decide not to have . . . you have to live without the knowledge of your innards". Great one, Graciegirl.
Wandatime: Good thing Sheldon had you to advocate and watch over him. "Nurses and doctors make mistakes, they are tired and overworked".
And the best one: JoMar said, "When things go south - you don't get a DO-OVER!"

I have always wanted to be a nurse consultant and have searched my soul for a few years over what kind of consulting would please me the most. And this thread validates my thoughts and hunches.

I'd like to know if y'all think there is a market in TV for a nurse advocate/consultant? A professional advocate to be at the bedside, monitor medications for interactions, research and educate her patient, step in and advocate as a son/daughter would if they could only be there.

We Americans spend lots of time and energy - and money - buying a big screen TV or new car or building a house. We need to devote as much or more of our energies to our health, or lack of it, and only then will we be proactive health care consumers.

What do you think? I'd love some feedback!

For many with no children or siblings, or with families that live elsewhere, I think a paid Patient Advocate would be a godsend.