The Nursing Profession
A World Power

The nursing profession can be, and has been, one of the most powerful influences on world health. From at least the time of Florence Nightingale, who changed how injured soldiers were treated on the battle fields and influenced the segregation of patients in hospital according to their disease or condition, much of what nurses do influence health and health care.

It is a profession that is still highly misunderstood, by consumers and even government bodies. I believe this misunderstanding stems from a lack of knowledge; past the mechanics of what we do to what it "feels" like to care for others. And in a system that more and more prefers to address patients as "clients" (or consumers of a business service), the roles that nurses play seem to be less understood, despite what some research might imply.

This years Nurse Week theme here in Canada was Think You Know Nursing? Take a Closer Look

Here then is my contribution to helping world populations better understand what the profession truly entails.

Nursing: A Wicked Profession is a book I have written which I hope will paint a clearer picture of who we are and why we do what we do.


Wickedness of the human being

When I started writing this book my research turned up some ugliness I would have rather ignored. But if the book was to be a true and honest look at what nurses do than I had to face ALL of the facts. Prone to the same temptations as any other human being, some who have worked in the nursing profession have abused their position of trust to do harm to others. Of course, compared to all the good nurses do these occurrances are few, but these facts still needed to be told. I have turned up stories of nurses who apparently killed for pleasure, or maimed patients as a way to deal with their own stress. I make no attempt to explain WHY these nurses did what they did, I merely make known that such instances have occurred.

Wickedly Difficult

Interestingly, the wicked things some in the nursing profession have done is not confined to just one country. It would seem that the stresses and difficulties faced by nurses in the day to day caring of others is experienced by those in the nursing profession in any country. From too many patients to too long hours, violence and lack of support from our own supervisors and employers, nursing is a wickedly difficult profession to practice. So why do we do it?

Wickedly Powerful

Perhaps because those of us who have stuck with it through the years have come to realize the power the nursing profession has over the health and well being of peoples all over the world. From government policy to individual health practices, to inventions that help other nurses perform their daily tasks more easily, nurses have enormous influence on the world around them.

Writing this book has opened my eyes to areas of a career I thought I knew well. Guess it shows there is more to the nursing profession than many realize.

I would like to explain briefly why I titled the book, "NURSING: A Wicked Profession

There are many good articles and stories available about nursing but most of these are read only by nurses. I wanted to entice the average joe on the street (you know, those who say they have never spent a day in hospital in their entire life) to at least pick up the book and read its' back cover. We need to educate the average person (and apparently governments) as to what nurses do; what the nursing profession really is. People need to understand not just the mechanics of the job but the feelings nurses experience, the intuitions we possess, the good, bad and ugly of who we are and what we do.

Ours is a difficult job but it most often is also very rewarding. I wish to speak up, and speak out, so that governments and health care consumers alike may better appreciate the professionals who call themselves nurses.

If you're interested in keeping up with my writing for future editions, or my other books, why not visit my blog. Much of what I write will become part of my books. Please feel free to use the blog as you would any nursing chat room, leaving comments about your own nursing practice, good or bad.

Thoughts on the Nursing Profession



The paperback edition it is now available for $10.99 USD.

It will soon also be accessible to buy via Amazon.com. For now however I will be distributing this book myself.

If you would like to buy a copy, please send cheque or money order to (payable to Wendy Getchell):

Wendy Getchell
5 Kirby Avenue East
Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada
R7N 0E8

I will be happy to autograph the book for you if you wish; just let me know if that is your wish.

If you would like to purchase the book using a credit card, or direct debit payment, you may do so via PAYPAL. Remember to include your mailing address so I know where to send it.

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