I read an article today that had me thinking outside the box. I challenge myself to think outside the box whenever I read any news article. I think many people read a headline and make a judgment, some people read a story and automatically agree with the people quoted in it, the facts presented in it or the news author’s slant on it. I try not to do that, and this story I read today about a nurse’s union trying to make it so that sex is not an option with nursing care is a great example.
AMSTERDAM (Reuters-Link to full article) – A union representing Dutch nurses will launch a national campaign Friday against demands for sexual services by patients who claim it should be part of their standard care.
Well, I can see that. The entire article really makes sense to me, but I think we should consider more than just the slant or side of the loudest or group with the most voices. I think we should consider that sexual health and well being is vital to general health and well being, and can not only keep someone healthier than someone who’s needs are not fulfilled, but sexual stimulation and release can also speed healing and recovery.
The Taoists discovered thousands of years ago that healthy sex can lead to better overall health, and longevity. The ancient Tantrics in India discovered this thousands of years ago as well. The ancient Greeks had priestesses who helped with physical and spiritual health using sex. Recent western medical studies have shown that sexual stimulation and release helps with many health factors as well.
I am sure that some people reading the article were mortified when they read:
The young woman witnessed some of the man’s other nurses offering him sexual gratification, the union said. When she refused to do the same, he tried to dismiss her on the grounds that she was unfit to provide care.
Sexual drugs and devices are prescribed by western medical professionals for health, and the vibrator was invented by western doctors for treating a woman’s hysteria that was linked to sexual frustration. Viagra and penis pumps are even covered by medicare aren’t they? I am sure that we would all agree that sex has many healthy benefits, perhaps I’ll try to put together some articles and information that will bring together some of the western research into endorphins, stress relief, confidence and others. I am more versed in the health benefits of tantric and Taoist sex practices however. Yeah, those will have to be an entire new post or page.
Why should it even be an issue if a doctor or nurse were to provide some sexual gratification to a patient? A nurse is well versed in the health issues of humans, and that should include sexual issues. A nurse is license to touch genitals aren’t they? A nurse can probe a prostate gland right? A nurse can collect a semen sample right? A sponge bath, shaving genitalia, playing with urine, blood and feces, these are all things nurses are trained to do well I think. Certainly a nurse would be well versed in sexually transmitted diseases, and safer sexual gratification procedures. I don’t see why it would be a big deal for a nurse or doctor to provide sexual services in the interest of healthy patients.
I do not think it should be a requirement however, and the fact that the patient in the article fired the nurse and cited ” she was unfit to provide care.” seems wrong to me. Or maybe it’s not, perhaps she was not suited to caring for this patient’s needs. I know there are nurses who are good at working with trauma patients, and there are some that are good at working with gynecology, that doesn’t mean that one is not licensed to do the other, but it could mean that they do not do very well when working with areas that are out of their comfort zone or in areas that they do not practice in well. Just as some nurses are great at drawing blog, some are not. Some nurses are good at handling a speculum and some are not interested in working well with those tools.
One of the things that may strike people is that licensing nurses to provide sexual gratification would be legalizing prostitution, and we could have a bunch or hookers who just get an RN license in order to turn tricks. Well I do not see much of that happening, many of the street hookers and brothel workers can’t even make it through the schooling and tests required to become a licensed massage therapist, much less a licensed nurse. Quite frankly if a woman or man was good at sexually gratifying people and decided to undergo the learning and training to become a licensed nurse, why not have them perform that service? It may be a popular service, and it would serve the health needs of patients. It would be done with safety in mind for sure. I know there are some medical professions where sexual stimulation is part of the job, sex therapists in California can have sex with patients I think. I also remember an article where physical therapists can insert dildos into women to help cure painful sex syndrome, in Massachusetts(?) I think. I’ve seen a nurse in a sperm bank provide prostate pleasures to a patient in a movie, not sure if that is real or not, but the point is we already have people in the medical field providing sexual touch, drugs, and devices for sex. So it is not really a stretch.
Of course there is plenty of this going on is more subtle ways already too. I am sure that many sick older men would be more miserable if it were not for the occasional view of a kind woman once in a while. You can see someone’s mood perk up with a sexy woman enters the room. A touch on the arm, a showing of nice legs, a nice cleavage shot once in a while, even a pretty smile can lighten a mood. I am sure that many nurses and other care givers know this, and are fine with it. Some people flirt, some don’t. Some people touch, some don’t. Some people are happy to give a handjob, some don’t. I wonder how many nurses have had a patient masturbate with them in the room. I am sure that some are grossed out by it, but others are not. It’s more a matter of what you are comfortable in doing to provide a healthy happy environment.
I this could this area being a specialist area, and I think it would be good for the patients, and good for the economy. Certainly having a nurse provide some sexual stimulation would not compete with the sexy and dirty whores in Vegas, but it would be nice for those who need it, and can’t afford the travel to Nevada for it.
Please note, that as I think sexual services should be on the menu or patient health, I do not think that it should be served by all in the field. I also don’t think that some nurses or other medical professionals providing sexual care should serve to represent all of those in the field. I agree with the quote here
Sandy Summers, executive director of the Center For Nursing Advocacy said: “This ad simultaneously exploits the ‘naughty nurse’ and the battleaxe/Nurse Ratched stereotypes, setting the nurse up both as an available sex object and a mock-malevolent authority figure, rather than a competent professional.”
about this ad. I think our society needs to give more respect to the learning and training that nurses go through. I think we need to have more respect for the amount of work, kind of work, and impact that these people have on our lives.
Doing image searches with google, I can find tons of naughty nurse pictures, especially with safe search turned off. But finding pictures of Angry nurses and the like, well there are no where near the amount of pictures to find. This reflects a lot about our society, and part of that is the lack of sexual satisfaction and the need to project that onto others so much. If people were not so deprived of good healthy sex and education, we would not have this explosion of sexuality images and videos.
Just my 2 cents on a random Saturday rant. More on this later, I am going to publish this post in order for people to add some comments and feedback. I will try to piece together some more thoughts and research later, this post may need some editing, I just don’t have time today.
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