Hey all,
This is a
pretty interesting discussion going down here! Nurses in Australia
are highly respected and I, too respect nurses judging by their
dedication and passion for their jobs. My university nurse has her
own office and she's the one who actually administers all the
injections.
In today's society, nurses are given much more responsibilities
and roles in the medical profession. There has been some revision
in the nursing degree's cirriculum and there might be even a 4 year
nursing degree in the near future whereby highly-specialised nurses
take on some of the doctor roles in rural areas( I read about this
in my textbook, "The Australian Health Care System") Apparently,
the state of New South Wales have gone through a series of pilot
programs under the general rubric of 'nurse practitioner'.
I believe Singapore should also give the same amount of respect
and acknowledgement for our local nurses.
Sadly, back in SG, the nursing role, whilst no longer viewed as
the 'handmaiden' role, is still not as challenged as the nursing
role here in Australia and in the US.
I was told by a fireman here that he was extremely impressed by
the MICA Paramedics here because they are the first respondents and
they are actually 'like doctors'.
I've seen some really professional and specialised nurses at
work here and I'm very impressed. And yes, because of the
shortage of doctors in rural Australia, and because the nearest
acute medical facility is often a distance away for these rural
communities, Nurse Practitioners will be empowered to act like GP's
because in emergencies, time is of the essence.
I think Singapore is pushing for their nurses to take on greater
roles but without the requisite community support and
acknowledgement, and without the requisite remuneration and
resources, it will be slow to take off. We do have Nurse
Practitioners now in Singapore but their roles are still diminished
compared to their counterparts in other developed
nations.
And, as for cadavars, these days, with what were once 'scary'
scenes popping up all over the TV and internet, I think a lot of
people are now desensitised to images that once upon a time were
considered 'gross' and censored out of public view. 
Really, WHAT is sacred these days?
