Bass Report

 We are a varied group, at this rehabilitation day care center in Israel. From Yiddish-speaking Chassidic to secular and sporting tatoos, we are a team united by our dedication to the children, and by a basic respect for each other. The variety that exists within the staff adds to a rich experience and the promise of how good things can be when we are united by a vision - that each child deserves the best chance no matter what his or her state of health.   Shattered a bit by a visit from a doctor who was reviewing the cases of the four children who need the most care and, admittedly, according to the dry statistics, may not have the longevity that others have. But they are still precious souls and have their own charm and it is a pleasure to care for them.   Let me get to the doctor's visit after I share with you the following:  a couple of weeks ago, we were taking turns working on giving Moshe (pen name for the sake of privacy) chest physical therapy as his oxygen ...

 English follows the Hebrew, see below: מאת רופא אפידימיולוגי: "אני מסכים שעבודת בריאות הציבור חייבת להיעשות תוך שיתוף חברי ומנהיגי הקהילה כפי שהדגמת בעבודתך הברוכה. חשוב שסיפורך ישמע, בעיקר בשירותי בריאות הציבור במשרד הבריאות.. "חג שמח He wrote this to me before the High Holidays, Sept 2025, in response to the following: Dear Dr ____ I forward this to you as an clinician in the field of public health, I wish to share my observations on the decreasing availability of vaccines in my two decades of working as a school nurse, in the Shomron , there is a great need for wider vaccine availability, I enclose my resume and letters of recommendation for context.   We cannot wonder at outbreaks of diseases to which there are vaccines, given the state of public health services in Israel in recent decades. איננו יכולים להתעלם מהשינויים בשירותי בריאות הציבור בישראל בעודנו תוהים על התפרצות חצבת. מבקשת התעניינותכם בסיפור שלי כאחות בריאות הציבור, תודה הנה נקודות חשובות מהמכתב המצו...

  Is nursing an autonomous profession? An autonomous profession is one run by the members of that profession. If nurses manage other nurses at the topmost levels of management, that would be an example of autonomy. But if nurses are being managed, ultimately, by lawyers and business models, then it is not autonomous. Imagine nurses working in the field. They see an issue with a policy or procedure that was imposed upon them by management. These nurses give feedback that this policy or procedure is incongruent with patient needs and safe care. An autonomous organization would welcome and value feedback. But if nurses are ultimately beholden to "the bottom line", that is, the profits of the company for which they work, then their feedback is not likely to be welcomed, their job satisfaction is likely to suffer, and patient care is likely to decline. Feminist theory can be used to empower any disenfranchised group. Traditionalists and conservatives need not write off feminist th...

  In nursing school, we learned about "nursing judgement". In the field, if a nurse is told by her boss, "follow the policies and procedures and no one can sue you and you should not care if people yell at you" it feels like a real contradiction.

 עברית אחרי: The nursing literature reflects the importance of patient centered care. You advocate for the patient.   Evidence-based practice means that nurses should cull evidence from their field of work to evaluate the policies and procedures, putting the patient as the center of what works for them.    In Israel, a signature on a health form differs in its legal weight than a signature on say a mortgage agreement. If the person signing the mortgage agreement claims he did not know what he was signing, that carries no weight, but if a patient signs a medical consent form and then claims that he did not understand what he was signing, the patient can claim wrongful action on the part of the health-care worker.   Since about 2016, school nurses in Israel were told that the health declaration that parents sign, which contains a clause regarding vaccines, is sufficient permission to vaccinate the child. Some critical thinking questions could be brought forth rega...