L'INFERMIERE E LA RANA. DI SENIA POCCI

IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, THE NURSING PROFESSION HAS PERFECTLY REFLECTED THE THEORY THAT THE PHILOSOPHER NOAM CHOMSKY CALLED THE BOILED FROG PRINCIPLE, IN WHICH HE DESCRIBES THE HUMAN BEING'S POOR ABILITY TO ADAPT TO UNPLEASANT AND HARMFUL SITUATIONS WITHOUT REACTING.

IMAGINE A BIG POT FULL OF COLD WATER IN WHICH A FROG IS SWIMMING PEACEFULLY. THE FIRE IS LIT UNDER THE POT AND THE WATER WARMS UP SLOWLY.

THERE WE ARE: YOUNG AND FULL OF ENTHUSIASM, WE KICK AROUND IN THE POT WITH SO MANY PROJECTS IN OUR HEADS TO REALIZE, WE HAVE CHOSEN WITH CONVICTION A HELPING PROFESSION AND WE ARE FULL OF ENERGY AND WILLINGNESS TO DO…….

SOON THE WATER BECOMES LUKEWARM. BUT THE TEMPERATURE IS PLEASANT AND THE FROG CONTINUES TO SWIM.

WE ARE STILL SUPPORTED BY ENTHUSIASM, WE BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO AND IN THE MEANTIME THEY REMOVE SUPPORT STAFF DURING THE NIGHT SHIFT, BUT OH WELL…. I KEEP KICKING AROUND IN THE POT BECAUSE I CAN DO IT, I BELIEVE IN WHAT I DO

I AM OBLIGED TO UPDATE MYSELF AND AFTER THE MORNING SHIFT OR BEFORE THE NIGHT SHIFT IT IS VERY HARD TO CONCENTRATE DURING THE ECM COURSE BUT I AM SURE I CAN DO IT

YET, I HEARD THAT FOR MY COLLEAGUES IN GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND THE COMPANIES EVEN PAY FOR MASTER'S DEGREES AND REFRESHER COURSES. OH WELL, IT DOESN'T MATTER... I CAN MANAGE ANYWAY.

I WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND TAKE CARE OF 40 PATIENTS ALONE.

I HAVE A TEMPORARY CONTRACT THAT THEY RENEW MONTH BY MONTH.

HIRING IS BLOCKED, I SKIP REST DAYS, I TRY TO SAY SOMETHING BUT I SAY IT SOFTLY…… I WOULDN'T WANT THEM TO THINK I HAVE NO SENSE OF DUTY AND AFTER ALL…. I'M NOT THAT BAD OFF

MEANWHILE, THE TEMPERATURE RISES. NOW THE WATER IS HOT.

A LITTLE MORE THAN THE FROG APPRECIATES. IT GETS A LITTLE TIRED, BUT IT DOESN'T GET SCARED

I TOO AM STARTING TO FEEL UNWELL, KICKING IN THAT POT HAS NOW BECOME MORE TIRING… BUT I GO ON……. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M TIRED, IF I HAVE PASSED 50 YEARS OLD AND AN 11-HOUR NIGHT DESTROYS ME

BUT “THOSE WHO DECIDE… SAY THAT MY JOB IS NOT EXHAUSTING!!!”

AND SO I GRUMBLE TO MYSELF BUT SHOULDERS TO THE WHEEL…. I GO ON, I HAVE TO MAKE IT!!!!

NOW THE WATER IS REALLY TOO HOT. THE FROG FINDS IT VERY UNPLEASANT, IT HAS WEAKENED, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO REACT…… SO IT ENDURES AND DOESN'T REBEL.

THE NURSE STOICALLY ENDURES EVERYTHING EVEN IF AT THE END OF THE MONTH THE SALARY IS MISERABLE AND DOESN'T LAST TO THE THIRD WEEK WITH THOSE FEW COINS,

I'M TIRED BUT I GO ON,

I AM DEMOTED BUT I GO ON,

I SKIP REST DAYS DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGES, I AM A JOLLY AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHIFT I WILL DO TOMORROW OR IN A WEEK

I MAKE UP FOR EVERY STRUCTURAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL SHORTCOMING OF THE COMPANY AND I GO ON

I FACE A PANDEMIC THAT WILL LEAVE BEHIND A CATEGORY OF WORKERS WHO WILL COME OUT PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY BROKEN…

AND IF THE SECOND WAVE ARRIVES, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I WILL FIND THE STRENGTH TO FACE IT BECAUSE BY NOW I AM ALMOST BOILED, TIRED, PISSED OFF, FRUSTRATED AND STILL I GO ON…. I NO LONGER KNOW IF I DO IT OUT OF INERTIA OR BECAUSE I HAVE TO PUT BREAD ON THE TABLE

MEANWHILE THE TEMPERATURE RISES AGAIN, UNTIL THE MOMENT WHEN THE FROG SIMPLY ENDS UP, DEAD AND BOILED.

BUT IF THE SAME FROG HAD BEEN IMMERSED DIRECTLY IN WATER AT 50°, IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN A STRONG KICK, IT WOULD HAVE JUMPED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE POT.”

BUT NO… THEY SLOWLY MASSACRED US…THEY PUT US IN A POSITION NOT TO NOTICE THE DRIFT THAT OUR PROFESSION WAS TAKING….

THEY MADE US BELIEVE THAT WITH THE DEGREE COURSE AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROFESSION, ECONOMIC RECOGNITION WOULD FOLLOW AT THE SAME PACE

THEY MADE US BELIEVE THAT IT WAS ALL TEMPORARY: THERE IS A LACK OF STAFF, I REMOVE THE OSS AT NIGHT, WE WILL INCREASE THE SALARY AT THE NEXT CONTRACT OF NEVER, THE ALLOWANCES WE WILL FIX LATER……AND THEY COOKED US SLOWLY….

NOW I ASK YOU IF WE WANT TO END UP LIKE THE BOILED FROG OR WITH THE REMAINING ENERGY WE DECIDE TO MAKE THAT LEAP THAT TAKES US OUT OF THAT DAMN POT OF HUMILIATIONS WE HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR 30 YEARS!!!

WE ARE ALL ANGRY AND TIRED BUT THE DEMARCATION LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN... AFTER COVID WE CAN NO LONGER GO BACK TO HOW IT WAS BEFORE

WE GAVE OUR LIVES, OUR HEALTH, WE WERE THERE WHEN THERE WAS A LACK OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHEN THE SWAB WAS DONE FOR POLITICIANS, FOOTBALLERS BUT NOT FOR US, DESPITE EVERYTHING WE DID NOT LEAVE OUR PATIENTS ALONE

SHAME ON YOU!!!!

AND TO YOU POLITICIANS, TO YOU COMPANIES, TO YOU UNIONS WHO GET SCARED IF OUR PROFESSIONAL ORDER ENCOURAGES THIS SQUARE: WORK WITH US TO GIVE US WHAT IS RIGHT! DON'T ROW AGAINST US

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THAT LEAP …

BECAUSE WHAT KILLED THE FROG WAS NOT THE BOILING WATER

BUT THE FROG'S INABILITY TO DECIDE WHEN TO JUMP OUT OF THAT POT AND THE TIME TO JUMP IS NOW!

WE WANT AN AUTONOMOUS CONTRACT, AIMED ONLY AT HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WITH DEDICATED FUNDS BECAUSE WE NO LONGER WANT TO BE IN A SECTOR THAT INCLUDES ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, DRIVERS AND PORTERS.

WE WANT TO LEAVE THE SECTOR!

Nursing Up Siena Union

Nurse Senia Pocci