The more I read of "Internal Bleeding" (RFT, April 28), the angrier I became. I personally was allowed to watch this transformation to "patient-focused care."
Unfortunately, St. John's isn't the only St. Louis hospital forced to bow down to the health-care moguls. Barnes-Jewish, as well as most of the others, has followed suit in replacing educated, experienced RNs with "patient-care assistants" (a.k.a. housekeepers and dietary aides) while the RNs (those lucky enough to retain their jobs) perform menial duties.
I was a patient at Barnes in December 1995. I had suffered a grand mal seizure and lost all of my abilities. I couldn't walk, talk, eat ... nothing. I was coherent, just couldn't communicate anything to anyone vocally. I was assigned to an RN. How often did I see her? Once every few hours, if I was lucky. Instead, the PCAs popped in and out of my room, checking my glucose level, drawing blood and bringing me medicine.
Once I was brought the wrong medicine. I could speak a little by that time, and I told the girl, "This is not right." She said, "Oh, it's just the difference between generic and brand-name." I told her I wasn't taking it, to go get the right med. She came back an hour later and said, "You're right. I checked in one of the nurses' drug books, and it says so." Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but are PCAs even legally allowed to administer meds?
My point is, just because you're in the hospital doesn't mean you give up your rights. You do not have to deal with PCAs. Although I've recovered beautifully, I still deal with the medical industry quite often. If I'm in the hospital when a PCA comes into my room, depending on what he/she is there to do, I request an RN. No undereducated person is sticking me or doing anything that requires the skill of an RN.
Even in the emergency room. A PCA came in toting her blood-draw tray, and I refused her -- not only because of what she was but because no M.D. had explained to me why blood was being drawn. I refused her a second time, and they put in my chart that I refused to have my blood drawn. No, I didn't ... I just refused to let a PCA do it. Obviously the doctor didn't want blood that bad, because nobody else ever came to take my blood.
And as for unionizing, that's a tough one for me, because I've always been anti-union. But if a nurses' union is what it takes for me and everybody else to get the kind of care we not only need but deserve, so be it. More power to you St. John's RNs. I just hope that the other hospitals in St. Louis follow suit again. All the RNs should gang up and unionize! The hospitals would shit their pants.
By the way -- anybody notice Unity's elaborate landscaping around their new building off I-270? And they can't even pay an RN what she/he deserves.
Heidi Beddingfield
HOME STAND
To the Editor:
Not sure exactly what you're trying to say by comparing Bath, Mich., to Littleton, Colo. ("Commentary," "Revelations on Tragedy and the Young," RFT, April 28), except perhaps, "See, people have always killed each other -- what's the big deal?" You are actually fairly accurate in your early assessment of the killings last week: No matter what we try to do to prevent this from happening again, if someone wants to kill badly enough, they will find a way. And for all your attempts to pooh-pooh the psychobabble receiving all the airplay, you close your editorial with more of the same -- "We need to listen to our kids." Please. Our kids need to listen to us for a change. I see too many parents who let their kids do all the talking. Despite the "culture of death" mentality that pervades their thinking, most of these kids have it pretty damn good -- maybe too good. I realize that we are talking about a small minority of today's teenagers. Believe it or not, the vast majority of young people today still think about a future rather than contemplating suicide because they've been grounded for a weekend.
I really believe that these tragedies, which seemingly play themselves out every few months in our culture, are the result of -- indeed, the price we must pay for -- a free society. In a free society, not all minds develop equally. We can't expect everyone who is free to make a choice to always make that choice based upon what is best for all of us. When we are totally free to decide what to do with our lives, we don't always pick something that mainstream society is going to like. Freedom breeds an amazing capacity for creativity. But we don't all have the capacity to be William Faulkner or Jonas Salk or Eleanor Roosevelt, so our society must also produce Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson and Richard Speck.
The difference has been, and will continue to be, parental intervention, love, discipline, attention to cries for help, nurturing, hugs and guidance. You said it yourself in your editorial: Broken homes breed problem children. And a broken home doesn't necessarily mean a single-parent home. I know a lot of broken homes that appear perfectly normal from the outside. Children just need to know that along with freedom come responsibility and rules and that we, as parents, will support their positive endeavors with positive reinforcement.
Will something like Columbine happen again? Unfortunately, the answer is probably yes. But so will school blood drives, and Operation Brightside, and Habitat for Humanity, which annually rely on teenage volunteers for staffing. Give your kid a hug tonight, and pray that they will be OK and that somehow the advice you give about obeying the rules will sink in someday. It's the best we can do.
Dan Reed
WRETCHED EXCESS
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to a cartoon on page 6 of the April 28 edition of the RFT. It depicts nine dead children whose bodies are arranged to form the letters "NRA." My interpretation of this cartoon is that the author is implying that the NRA is responsible (whether directly or indirectly, I can't say) for the tragedy that took place at Columbine High School on April 20.
My response to this is twofold. First, I once again see people attempting to point fingers at some organization for a tragedy that has occurred. Whatever happened to holding people accountable for their actions? Am I to assume that something like this would not happen if strict gun-control laws were passed? Anyone believes that is mistaken.
Just remember, cocaine, marijuana and crack are illegal, but if you really want them, you can get them. The same is true with guns; no matter what gun-control laws are put in place, they will still be accessible, even to children.
Second, I think it is absolutely tasteless that such a cartoon was put in your paper. No matter what the political viewpoints may be, I think that anyone who uses a tragedy in this way is appalling. Let me ask this question: What if one of the victims killed in Denver was your son or daughter, and you saw a cartoon using an image of his or her dead body in a paper to express a political viewpoint? How would you react to that? If you answer the question truthfully, I think you would be appalled as well.
I have no problems with the RFT expressing an opinion in a written editorial on this issue, but depicting dead children in a drawing is going a little too far. I believe you made the wrong decision on this one.
Jim Phillips
To the Editor:
I found the cartoon on this week's letters page, featuring the bodies of dead schoolchildren arranged to spell the letters "NRA," to be offensive and in as poor of judgment as one might exercise. What's next -- dead fetuses arranged in a "PP" Planned Parenthood design? No, I suppose the unthinking liberal agenda pursued by your paper would equally prevent both that and publication of this letter.
Gregory J. Pals
WITH COMPLIMENTS
To the Editor:
We at Tony's are truly honored that your readers have voted us the best in seven different arenas -- from Best Restaurant to Best Service. Please know that we value every vote of confidence highly and that each recognition makes us proud. We understand that we earn each vote with every dinner we serve.
We would like to recognize The Riverfront Times as not only the best alternative paper in town but certainly one of the best in the country. We travel often and want to assure your readers that the RFT offers both a quality and a focus rarely seen elsewhere. We both thank you and toast your success.
Vincent J. Bommarito
