Oct 16 2012
The Highland of Last Resorts
I find it fitting that the name of the hospital featured in this documentary is called The Highland. It’s the high land. It’s a land where people trek up to and eventually, for the most part, become treated or healed. I have high respect for all of the staff members who work there. Especially since my own mother is an I.C.U. nurse, I know how tough work life can get. Not all patients are a cup of tea, you know. Like how the doctor is forced to stay professional and calm when an outraged man curses and demands some medical apparatus to be taken off of him, my mother stays calm and professional. I understand the amount of patience one must have in order to take an attitude like that from someone. The amount of positivity and care that it takes to handle patients like that is also outrageously high. To me, the main nurse of the documentary, the lively one who talks to everyone as if they’re family, symbolizes the softer side of the hospital, the humane rather than the business side. I fondly call her the soul of the waiting room.
http://www.ashlandfilm.org/FilmDetails.asp?View=Film&FilmID=701
Other than my initial reactions, I found it incredibly frustrating how some people take advantage of the public health care system. Because of people who keep returning because of reasons that are their own faults, many people in need can’t get a bed. Therefore, they cannot be treated as soon as they should be treated. Although it is ideal to care for everyone, something in the system needs to change. People who deserve to be helped should be prioritized.
I know how you feel since my mom is a nurse in the I.C.U as well. It’s a very tough job and it takes a lot of strength and patience to take care of extremely sick people. I don’t think that these people are taking advantage of the system but simply have no other options. People who caused these things upon themselves are messed up and there need to be priority for those life threatening cases. There needs to be a change.
It’s a harsh reality, but we really do need to make changes so people stop doing idiotic things that lead them to take advantage of the system we have. Sigh, but politics will never give way so we can have any real change. Maybe we should make everyone down in D.C. watch this film over and over again until they decide to actually do something about it?
I do agree that the system needs to be more attuned towards people who really deserve it and especially not towards people who tried to kill themselves with drug overdose repeatedly, only to end up taking other people’s spots. However, it occurred to me if we start classifying and prioritizing people it would only give away loopholes for others to take advantage of and it would be almost impossible to judge who gets in first or not. (because we’re not GOD) I just have to say I have the highest regards for the people who work in the medical field and after seeing the film, I share the pain of having to put up with the judgement between efficiency and humaneness.
I don’t necessarily agree with you. I feel that priority should be given to someone who has no fault in the illness than someone who is seeking treatment for a drug overdose.
I really like your analysis of the name of the hospital. I didn’t even think of that before. I think it’s also great that you know, from your mother’s experience as a nurse, the trials that are faced every day in the waiting room. I understand your frustration with people that abuse the system but you just have to think. Does the good outweigh the bad? Are there enough genuine people out there that need the help that it’s worth it to have to cater to the ones that don’t deserve it. That’s how I look at it when analyzing the situation.