When I started to write about this topic, I was going to list statistics about the dwindling number of nurses, the rising age of nurses, the salaries and the hours, etc., but I know you've heard that before. The second line in the heading "Are you part of the Problem?" really hit home! I couldn't ignore it. I've always thought I was a good nurse. I used my experience and knowledge to provide quality patient care. I plan, assess, I implement, I follow the nursing process to the letter. The patients say thank you and sometimes a Doc says thank you, but how often do I hear it from a colleague? Hopefully, many of you don't identify with me. This piece should really be called "Confessions of an O.R. Nurse"! When I do what I do, I have this non-verbalized expectation that the nurse working with me is on my wave-length, that she is thinking the same things I am and will perform accordingly. The fact that I have only worked with her once before, on a totally different type of procedure, at 4 in the morning, on a holiday weekend, probably has nothing to do with the fact that she is now ignoring me and doing things her way! You may be thinking, what does this have to do with the nursing shortage...Well I'll try to put it in perspective for you. I don't know if you've ever done this. But, sometimes after I've worked in this type of situation, I have opened my famous mouth and complained to any sympathetic nurse that is willing to hear me (or is having a bad day too!) and O.R. nurses are great at complaining. The problem is, we are complaining in the presence of possible future nurses; orderlies, nursing assistants, secretaries, and when you do it at home, your relatives wonder why would anyone want to be a nurse? I recently changed positions and now work in Endoscopy/Minor Surgery. This has been a great eye opener for me, because now I was thrust into the position of being the new kid on the block at the age of 52. I had to be dependent on other nurses to teach me. I was slow, I fumbled, I made mistakes, but slowly, I evolved. The biggest lesson I learned was that I came away with more information, when it was offered kindly, patiently and with empathy. If you take anything away from reading this piece, I hope it will be to speak kindly to and about your peers, you never know who is listening!    
Ruth Sedgwick CNOR