Light duty

I absolutely object to direct-care nurses coming to work on "light duty" and "attempting" to do clinical work.  I say attempting because light duty in the hospital means you're on the schedule as a full nurse but in reality you can't do certain crucial aspects of your job.  This scheduling gimmick is often used by managers, but hurts the fully-functioning direct care nurses (image a nurse that only works triage and refuses to work another assignment, or a tech who only works the desk as a secretary despite the fact that the job description is Tech-Secretary).  You either do your job 100% or don't show up at all.  However, I think there should be a light duty option for clinical nurses (staff education, unit administrative work, patient call-backs) to come back & earn a living while recovering.  Perhaps at a reduced wage (as arranged through proper legal channels), but still working and earning money and earning PTO time.  Over the last few years I personally knew (and donated money/time to) several nurses and paramedics that suffered a tragic accident or a debilitating illness and couldn't return to work due to new limitations or trivial documentation that makes them seem unfit for duty.  All honest, hard-working, great people that would give you the coat off their back even if they had nothing of their own.  And except for some sporadic donations, we as a profession, tend to forget and ignore our friends when they need us the most.  I've had nurses tell me that all their friends abandoned them and they hardly talk to anyone at work anymore.  We must do better than this, and we can do better than this.  No matter how busy our own lives are, never forget your blessings and be humbled by the lives of your co-workers and friends who may be fighting a very hard battle.  Reach out and say a kind word, donate some time, money or services to them (could be as simple as driving them to the grocery store or running their kids to practice).