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| A Cause for Celebration? All in the Eyes of the Beholder… |
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by Kimberly Spering, MSN, FNP-BC - May 11, 2011
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 Provided by Clinician 1
Some of you may remember my previous blog about a new patient to our practice, who had served four tours in Afghanistan, injured multiple times, and the hassles he faced getting his war injuries covered by his Tricare (Army) insurance. I had connected him with an orthopedist, but still...as of today, he awaits clearance from the “powers-that-be” in Afghanistan, who did not correctly fill out paperwork the first time. Thus, he awaits the PT and surgery that will correct his hip and shoulder problems.
This week, he came in for another problem entirely...the day after President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden was killed in a secret CIA raid in Pakistan. Before I walked into the room for the visit, I wondered how my patient would feel...having served for four tours-of-duty in pursuit of this very person, whose death was now pronounced.
I did the visit, focusing on the acute problem at hand. While doing my assessment, I on-purposely “casually” asked, “so what do you think of the news?” He immediately knew what I meant...referring to the presidential announcement.
In a quiet way, J. said, “Yeah...it’s about time.” Nothing more. Straight-faced. No emotion.
I looked at him, and realized the utter truth of the matter.
“It doesn’t bring anyone back, does it?” I asked him.
“No...it doesn’t,” was his hollow response. He wondered if the announcement was really true. A burial at sea...no body to look at. All of this time and effort...was it REALLY true?
And here HE was...suffering the casualties of multiple combat tours...STILL without restitution.
I felt sick, listening to him. Helpless. Angry at the whole situation. Darn it, it wasn’t FAIR.
For as much as many may feel (myself included), that bin Laden got what he deserved, our troops deserve better. They DESERVE to be treated fairly...to get the health care that they need. Physically and mentally. And it does NOT bring back anyone who lost their lives on that fateful day on 9/11, nor the thousands who sacrificed their lives in the aftermath.
There was a celebration at the former site of the Twin Towers after Obama’s announcement. I know there was celebration in Pennsylvania at Penn State and at a Phillies’ Game. However, there is no celebration for many of these soldiers. They and their families have given precious time, energy, and personal sacrifice to our country to protect our freedoms. We owe them much, much more in return. I only hope and pray that my patient...that ALL of our soldiers...will get the healthcare that they need in the aftermath of these wars...now, and in the future.
Kim Spering is a family nurse practitioner who currently works at Brndjar Medical Associates, P.C., a family practice in Emmaus, PA. Her past experience includes the fields of medical/surgical ICU, open heart/trauma ICU, labor and delivery, nursing education, nursing supervision, and as a nurse practitioner in both family practice and OB/GYN settings. She currently serves as a NP preceptor for her graduate school alma mater, DeSales University, as well as for local baccalaureate programs. She is passionate about patient education and helping patients understand that they are ultimately responsible for their own health. She also firmly believes that the public needs to be educated on the value of NPs and PAs in meeting the health care needs of the next decade and beyond. In her free time, Kim enjoys family vacations with her optometrist husband, Mark, and her two sons, Matthew and Connor.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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