Who's Nurse Kindheart ??

Nurse Kindheart is born

My third clown was born in 1994. "Nurse Kindheart" is a dear, sweet, white-haired, proper nurse with a clipped British accent who embodies all the old-fashioned qualities of nursing that are sometimes lost among the technology and bustling activity of the hospital. "Nurse Kindheart" is patient and reassuring as she clucks, "There, there, dear; let me fix you a good, hot cup of tea and we'll talk about this problem and solve it together." She is a devoted patient advocate, protecting them from interruption during their naps. She also checks the doctor's malpractice insurance coverage to verify that it is sufficient.

A Caring Clown

"Nurse Kindheart" embodies the qualities of compassion and sensitivity that all patients need and that most nurses still value. The techniques of Western allopathic medicine place great demands upon the professional nurse today. Sophisticated monitoring equipment, complex medication procedures and intricate infection control policies create multiple distractions for any professional caregiver. The home care environment is beginning to look more and more like a hospital room, as patients are being discharged "quicker and sicker." Several nurse educators are helping nurses to remember just how important compassion and caring are for both the patient and the nurse.

"Nurse Kindheart" offers a gentle reminder to all caregivers, to be gentle, patient and kind in every contact they have with patients, family and colleagues. "Nurse Kindheart" is the antithesis of "Nancy Nurse". "Nancy" is wild and crazy, bold and brash, oversized and noisy. "Nurse Kindheart" is a true "Angel of Mercy". She is sweet and demure, careful and polite, refined and serene. "Nurse Kindheart" believes that LOVE is the greatest healing energy there is so she exudes this to everyone she meets.

Being an old-fashioned nurse, "Nurse Kindheart" realizes the importance of being present and available. She frequently visits her patients to provide peace and comfort. She queries their physicians about the completeness of their orders and insures that they have anticipated any problems their patients might have before their next visit. After all, she tells the doctors, "I wouldn't want to disturb you late at night with my questions, dearie. You look so weary, you deserve a good nights' sleep and maybe a wee sip of sherry to insure sweet dreams." "Nurse Kindheart" remembers the good old days when nurses cared for patients in large wards filled with ten or twenty beds. It was much easier to help each other back then, when several nurses worked together in one big room. Today, with all these private rooms and specialty units, it requires greater effort for nurses to stay in touch and help each other during the shift.

"Nurse Kindheart"

Her uniform is crisp and professional, with long sleeves and a pleated bodice (she would never wear "scrubs"). Her hose are white (of course) and she wears sensible duty shoes. Small, pink heart-shaped buttons run the length of her uniform and her shoes display a large pink heart and pink shoelaces. A pink nurse's cap sits atop her snow-white hair, which is loosely tied into a bun. And, on the tip of her nose is a small pink, heart-shaped clown nose, so when she "sticks her nose into other people's business," they know she loves them.

Gently funny -- someone you'd like to hug as well as laugh with!