I have been a nurse for 12 years. It is ever-changing but not for the better.
Throughout my career in health care, I have seen the difference that skilled, supported nurses make in people’s lives. I also have witnessed how decisions made by hospital systems can chip away at the quality of care — not because nurses stop trying but because the system stops listening.
Delaware patients deserve better and so do the nurses who care for them. That means safe staffing levels that protect everyone, stronger oversight of health care operations and real investment in the people who do the hands-on work of healing.
When nurses speak up, it’s not just for themselves; it’s for their patients, their co-workers and their communities. As nurses, we all have stories of patients suffering from long emergency room wait times and community clinics being forced to close, while hospitals build new VIP wings and executive boardrooms. It’s not unusual, but it sure is something I’d like to fight to change.
I became a nurse to help people. I stayed in the profession because I believed it mattered. And now, I’m speaking up because I know Delaware can do better. Nurses are trained to advocate for others, and that doesn’t stop when we leave the bedside.
Jennifer Pyatt
Middletown
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
