There is an old story about a patient in our workplace who was invited to take a tour of heaven and hell. First his guide led him to a room where a group of people sat around a circular table. Each had one arm tied behind his back. The other arm was in a straight, rigid cast, and each person had a long-handled spoon in that hand. One side had licensed nurses and the other side certified nursing assistants. There was a steaming bowl of a delicious-smelling stew in the middle of the table, but none of the people could eat from it because none could bend his elbow. The people were terribly thin and sickly. They suffered greatly, not only from hunger, but also from the great frustration of having the stew so close by. �This is hell,� said the guide. �I can see that,� said the patient Then the guide opened another door. Another group of people were seated around the same kind of table, one arm tied behind their backs, the other arm in a straight cast with a long-handled spoon in that hand. The same bowl of stew sat in the middle of the table. One side had licensed nurses and the other side certified nursing assistants. But these people were happy, talking, healthy-looking. As the patient watched, one of the nursing assistants reached across the table to dip her spoon in the stew to feed nurses and nurses did the same feeding the nursing assistants. Over and over again as he watched, the nurses and nursing assistants help one another taste the delicious stew. � And this � said the guide. � is heaven�. Most Certified Nursing Assistants and Licensed Nursing Staff want to provide quality health care while receiving a high sense of job satisfaction, feeling needed and useful. That is our delicious stew.
