Am I (and are you) a "liberal extremist" or an 'evil progressive"?

1. More medical staff such as doctors and nurses also cost more money.

2. The doctors and nurses that we currently have may get overworked and burned out.

3. I don't know if there is currently a doctor and nursing shortage.

I think there is such a shortage, at least in some areas. Mostly, they don't seem to want to be around sick people. Maybe they should have gone into law or accounting.

Not sure if it is the same here, but reports in Australia are that their workplaces force them not to come into work if they have any flu-like symptoms until they test negative to Coronavirus. The more overworked you are, the more your immune system is compromised, the more likely you are to get mild colds...meaning you can't come into work...meaning your colleagues have to do overtime, and cope with more issuess...leading to them becoming more overworked...which starts a cycle. No-where would this be felt more, than in ICU wards (where the deaths occur), which require specialised nurses and doctors (ie. it is not easy to flit staff in and out of them).

Don't forget this has been going on for almost 2 years now. Burnout is usually cummulative. It's usually a question of how fast the accumulation occurs. And the more that burn out - the quicker the remaining burn out.

Texas hospitals face staffing shortages as nurses say they’re burned out.

Aug 6, 2021

I wound up in the hospital this past September for 9 days. They discovered two aneurisms that had been leaking blood into the abdominal area which caused incredible overall body weakness. It took almost the entire time to figure out the problem, first they had to check for infections, for possible heart disease, for a possible stroke before they figured it out. I only remember seeing tons of different doctors, nurses going into high gear when my blood pressure would bottom out, dozens and dozens of injections, a port placed in my neck, way too many wires placed in and out of my body and the miserable look on my family waiting to find out what was wrong.

So many of the nurses who cared for me were traveling nurses. Many of the normal nursing staff have left their positions from fatigue or fear, have gotten sick or left for other reasons. While I was in the hospital, they had to stop taking new emergency patients for about a week because they didn't have enough nurses to care for the them. The entire deposition of the hospital was different, all the rooms seemed filled with patients, it was very quiet because very few people watched the TV's or had visitors. I was taken to the critical care unit twice and that place was exceptionally quiet. There was a patient in the room next to me who was receiving very intensive care (for what I don't know). He had 2 visitors that had to be completely covered when in the room.......I couldn't hear anything because the rooms were glass enclosed plus I was basically tuned out the entire time.

I didn't see any of the usual folks you normally see in a hospital. My nurse took blood samples, administered meds and basically did everything they used to parcel out to nurse techs, or other personnel.

I considered myself lucky because I was well cared for and hospitalized very close to my home (about a mile and a half away). Also lucky because I was able to leave after 9 days. I was very weak, couldn't stand without a support, and it took weeks before my legs were strong enough to get up the steps in my house. Fortunately, I didn't have COVID, didn't have a heart attack or a stroke, I wasn't there because of a weight problem.......I simply had an unscheduled bleed into my abdomen and was weakened because of the loss of blood. (Yes, I was given blood a few times during that stay).

The only reason I'm even mentioning this is because hospitals keep us alive when we need help. I definitely needed help and I'm not sure if I would have survived if the ambulance had to travel an hour to get to another hospital. Frankly I'm getting a little sick of almost 2 years of limited travel and social activities because a few folks see health care as a political choice between the enlightened and the sheep. In a country where we value freedom we must realize that it also comes with great responsibility. It doesn't mean freedom for just a few, it has to be a joint effort because if we don't cooperate we doom ourselves and everyone else.

1. I hear you loud and clear.

2. I am also happy that you receive the medical care you needed.

3. I hope you are doing well now.

I'm doing very well, recovery has been slower than I thought but........ I'm older than I used to be.

Our healthcare system should be designed to handle a pandemic with or without vaccines. There was never a guarantee that the vaccines would work (I don't know if anyone remembers that). The fact that our healthcare systems are failing means that they weren't ready to face an emergency.

That seems like something we should fix.

I don't know how much these shortages are being exaggerated. Clearly yhere are problems in some areas. Whether these are isolated cases or a general problem isn't clear.

I had a mini-stroke this year. I was hospitalized for three days near Houston Texas (I was there by complete accident) including an MRI and plenty of preventative procedures and more than adequate nursing care. I didn't experience any of the problems some people are reporting.

In any case, making our healthcare sytem more robust to handle an emergency seems like an obvious good idea.

Rather than outrage at patients needing care, advocating for a better prepared healthcare system would be more productive.

Here we go again with Little Johnny One-Note who's also deaf. Outrage, yet again. We'll just call you Trump2 and Oralloy2.

And "... a better prepared healthcare system..." is a complete joke. That's never going to happen because of greed. I have a SIL in Nevada who has told me horror stories of charges and double charges... etc. Everyone's just trying to make a buck. I'm sure there are health care professionals who care, but they can't buck the system. It's corrosive. Good luck with that and good luck with fixing your completely broken political system. I like Americans and I like America, but I can't tell you how glad I am to be a Canadian and NOT an American.

Actually most of us who live in the United States find it to a pretty decent place to live, work and raise children. This includes many people who come here from Canada.

America bashing is in vogue in Europe it is a little surprising from a Canadian. Canada is basically America lite; they speak our language, watch our TV, play our national pastime, and even take our political positions.

Uh... no. We are distinct in many ways - political systems, health care, gun laws... and we don't serve the 2 lbs of food and super-sized colas at ABC restaurants that Americans are served. We also get British humour (witness Spitting Image where they had to make one specially for Americans who didn't know who anyone was, ie. Thatcher, Kohl, etc). We also don't drink soda like you do. We eat like the French (small plates) with lots of veggies. We are distinct. Could I name a rapper? L'il something. That's all I know. Our Prime Minister does NOT walk in front of the Queen.

We are in no way American (much less American-Lite) and when we go abroad, if someone asks if we're American, our unilateral response is, "No! We're Canadian!". We may watch your TV (because of aggressive inroads), but we still maintain a Canadian content rule for all media.

And what do you mean we take your political positions?

And by the way, I was not America-bashing. I said many times that I liked Americans and America - I have probably been to more states than you have, but what's going on there right now is a huge turnoff. I have American family - in Georgia and Cali, to name just two, and likely others. I certainly won't be visiting any of them soon, but they are aunts and cousins and close family.

Here you go again, sideswiping with a huge brush.

1. Max, there is no need for you to be so combative.

2. We are all A2K members having a discussion.

3. It doesn't necessarily have to be about who is right or wrong.

4. Sometimes it's just a group of individuals having a conversation.

5. I don't speak for no one else.

6. I am only speaking for myself.

7. I do welcome your input just as I welcome most of everybody else's input.

8. I don't have to agree or disagree.

9. We are just having a conversation.

Smart words, Real Music.

Thank you. That's appreciated.

Jumping up to defend the USA and capitalism is just one of maxdancona's habitual rants.

It's counter productive.

It just reminds us all that Max is from America.

This is funny! Let's be clear about what is happening.

Mame started this nasty thread to single out two people who she doesn't like. Read the title of the thread. Read the first post. Mame started this thread to attack other members.

This is a nasty little insular group with a narrow set of opinions. There is no "conversation" here. This "discussion" you are talking about is a mix of simplistic political propaganda (which I don't mind too much but I am going to question), and throwing mud at anyone who dares to express an other opinion.

RealMusic is a hypocrite. He ignores the nastiness from Izzy and Bobsal and Mame. The real problem here is that there are people who dare to express and depend opinions from outside the bubble.

Mame's intention is to push out any opinion that doesn't fit with a narrow, politically correct, ideological narrative. I belong here. I am not going away. And yes, I am going to push back on this nasty attack on anything resembling critical thought.

My original post. Not attacking or accusing anyone. Just wanted definitions.

He needs no reason. He lives for it.