Discussion: Suffering
ANSWERS
It costs the witness—the nurse—to bear witness to pain in these circumstances. This chapter explores the personal hardship of nurses. It looks at the moral discomfort felt by nurses who provide pointless care. It also talks about the anxiety and conflict nurses experience when they have to cause “necessary” suffering to provide care. Patients and nurses are both first and foremost humans. Boundaries, self-awareness, and personal awareness of one’s attitudes and thoughts about the meaning of life and death are all necessary for nursing. The nurse’s ability to observe or alleviate the pain of patients or their families is eventually harmed by failing to take care of oneself. It is unsustainable to take care of others without taking care of oneself.
QUESTION