These days, however, they find little time to tend to less urgent needs, said Brenda Nichols, chair of the School of Nursing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Nichols, a registered nurse, got a glimpse of what it's like to be a patient recently when she was hospitalized for reconstructive surgery relating to a mastectomy performed several years ago. What I got was really good care. Nichols said she had to ask nurses three times to add moisture to her oxygen supply, which left her lips dried and cracked. Her request was finally met, almost 15 hours later.
Some patients even request registered nurses, who have more education and command higher salaries.
And health insurance plans typically don't cover the cost of private nurses. In spite of the high cost, demand for private nurses is growing, said JoAnn Eure, a registered nurse and the administrator of Eure Professional Staffing and Medical Services. Many of her clients are the adult children of elderly parents. Sometimes, hospitals will even pay for sitters to stay with patients who are in danger of falling out of bed. Cathy Carter, a nurse who worked in the emergency room at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital before moving to Texas recently, advises patients to bring a nurse or relative with them to the hospital.