When I went to work at my first job at a medium size hospital (approx 260 beds) - we did not have even ONE nurse of the alternate gender apart from psychiatry. Psych had 3 total - one in the position of "head nurse" and 2 on the floor. Loved the two that I worked with on the floor. Wasn't sure about the manager - he always seemed a little odd to me.
Then I started working in L&D.....and there were even less of the alternate gender within the ranks of the Nurses.
I did work with ONE in Canada....and I thought he was very good - he was actually a midwife trained in another country - but was working in the capacity of RN.
I enjoyed working with him and the moms had no issues with him, as they shouldn't, since no one ever had any problems with the fact that Male OB's cared for the patients. There shouldn't be any difference.
Unfortunately, however, he left fairly soon after starting because he felt that he was being discriminated against - not by the patients - but the other RNs. I couldn't understand that, since his practice was without fault.
I worked with another very special and wonderful RN in a smaller facility. He was a Jack-of-all-trades - mostly worked ICU/ER but would float anywhere - even worked L&D. He was an excellent L&D RN. His patients loved him. His co-workers loved him.
He got along with everyone. He drew raves from all patients.
On nights, on our breaks we would visit - and some of the stories he told were nothing short of amazing. He told me about the time an ambulance meandered in sans lights and sirens with an MVA who the paramedics deemed to be "dead". They had extracted the patient from a horrific crash.
This RN climbed into the back to check it out.....and found.....a pulse! They quickly hauled that patient out of there and subsequently saved her life. It took months - but she recovered fully without deficit, and later came in to thank him for saving her life.
He would occasionally go on travel nurse stints to the USA - for several months - then return. About the time I was ready to leave, he tried to sell his laptop to me, which I found a little curious because he used it extensively to connect with his family while away.
He had a wonderful family - three teenage girls - and a wife. It seemed that they had a good life. I never heard of any sort of problems or concerns. He was always a happy person - smiling all the time. He was a thoughtful, kind person - always helpful. He was a loving father - this is a letter he wrote to his daughter on her graduation from high school. He certainly was a very proud father.
He and his wife volunteered with Gideons. He asked me if I received a Gideon's Bible when I graduated from Nursing, and when I responded in the negative - he gave me one.
It is a little white New Testament with "Nurse" printed under their lamp on the bottom Right hand corner. Inside is a Canadian flag and the Florence Nightingale Pledge.
Shortly after I moved away, something shocking happened.
No one knows "why" - but this RN, after having an argument with his wife, left the house and wandered away - never to be seen again.
He didn't ever seem depressed, never mind suicidal.
Pleas from his daughters "Daddy, come home, we don't care about anything else, just please come home - we love you" in the newspapers and online were left unanswered.
Some people thought that perhaps he went back to the USA to start a new life, but his American License didn't show any activity. Nothing was found. He left all ID and his wallet behind.
It is now coming on Nine Years, and not one trace of him has been found - not even a body.
You can read some of the heart wrenching posts by his daughters, sister, wife and friends here on Facebook.
One of his daughters posted a letter he had written to her upon her high school graduation.
So far, he has missed the death of his father, weddings of all three daughters and the birth of his first grandchild.
If anyone has seen him, please contact the police. His family misses him.
5 comments:
How very sad :-( I wonder how someone can just disappear like that...no trace, no signs, nothing.
I hope his family and friends can get some resolution...I imagine the not knowing is very hard to deal with.
it really is a mystery. The sad part is - as much as perhaps he thought he might have done his family a favor by removing himself from them-whether suicide or?? - he really didn't. This is still affecting them all - 9 years after the fact.
this is very tragic.
I hope the family one day finds some resolve to this pain.
Uggh this so so sad. :(
On a side note, half my floor are male RNs. I am going to miss this because there is only one male RN in L&D and I depend on testosterone to break up the cattyness that goes down in Acute Care. I'm screwed for L&D.
NN: from the comments that keep coming up and from what I hear through the grapevine: they still have trouble with it and rightfully so. It really is sad. I hope something comes up to resolve it for the family.
Ms E: I know...I miss the male mix on the floor. It makes a difference, I feel. I can't for the life of me understand why there is so much attitude about guys in L&D...
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