Eileen J. Glover R.N.
Continuity, caring, and connection in the freezer aisle
I remember the moment that food shopping became a chore, a burden, something to just be gotten through. The scene is etched into my memory.
I was in the Pathmark supermarket on Route 1 South in North Brunswick, N.J. It was the frozen food aisle, to be exact.
A health-care system that really does prioritize health over profit
On March 8 - more than 100 days ago - more than 700 nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass., went on strike for better patient care and safer staffing levels. This situation is not news to me. As a registered nurse who is a former member of...
Retreat needs major overhaul if it is to be saved
The news of the Brattleboro Retreat's financial situation is deeply concerning, but not a surprise to those of us who work (or worked) there. I was a nurse there for 10 years before I felt compelled to resign due to changes to the patient care environment enacted by the...
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Retreat nurse: staff is at the breaking point
I have been a registered nurse at the Brattleboro Retreat for nine years, and I'm here to let the community know what is happening there. In a time of crisis, the hospital's administration has consistently chosen to make life for the direct-patient-care staff more difficult. According to the administration, a staffing crisis at the Retreat has led to a financial crisis. Staff have been leaving, and hiring has been challenging, creating a shortage of nurses, mental-health workers, social workers, and...
Cutbacks compromise patient care at Retreat
I am a nurse at the Brattleboro Retreat working on the State Hospital unit, newly opened this past year due to the demise of the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury as a result of Tropical Storm Irene. The patients that now come to us on the State Hospital unit, officially known as the Adult Intensive Unit, or AIU, often come with a history of spending much of their lives in institutional settings due to severe, ongoing mental illness. These patients...