After spending a long time writing and doing graphics with my husband for my web sites (Nursey and PsYcHo NuRsE) I decided to create a web ring of my own. One of the main reasons I came up with the idea is the fact that I've gotten so many favorable comments in my guestbook regarding the irreverant humor on my pages, but another reason is the fact that I've been either thrown out or refused membership in several web rings because of that very content. These two things made me think about the fact that nurses come in all shapes and sizes, and subscribe to any number of religions or philosophies as well as political parties. Like any random cut out of society (with the possible exception of electrical engineers) we all think, act, react, vote, pray and hope differently. What is it then that sets my web ring apart from other nursing or medically-related web rings?

That answer came to me when I considered the one thing that binds most nurses together; the deep desire to aid the afflicted, to comfort those whose lives have been interrupted or shattered by disease, trauma or death. In my career as a nurse I have seen people who might not even speak to each other on the street work as a team to thwart an untimely death. It didn't matter whether we were Republican or Democrat, Southern Baptist or Satanist, it didn't matter whether we listened to Country Western or Classical; we all worked to our utmost ability to fight the grim reaper when he came knocking at an unwelcome hour to steal away a child, and adult, or an elderly person. We pooled our knowledge and our fortitude no matter whether our patient was a rich man or a poor man, whether he was black, white, red or yellow; whether he had insurance or no job at all.

The one thing that nurses have in common is our interest in helping others. The one thing most nursing sites have in common is in helping the nurse do her or his job better by informing them on the various technicalities of the job. That's all fine and dandy, but where does an off duty nurse go when she'd like to candidly speak out against the beligerant pain-in-the-ass alcoholic patient who doesnąt take care of himself or the I-see-nurses-as-only-sex-objects idiot who is positive his time in the hospital is destined to become his favorite porn flick come true? We are NEVER paid to voice our opinion regarding the people we come into contact with, so where can we go to speak out freely against the abusive parents, the violent gang members, the drunken driver, the power-hungry rapist and the cost-cutting, money-hoarding hospital administrators?

Since the World Wide Web provides a bit of anonimity to everyone, I thought it would be the perfect place for nurses to unload the stress of our everyday lives. We can, in effect, speak out proudly against those whose wrongs we swallow daily under the excuse of good bedside manner. I propose that the Nursey's Waiting Room WebRing & The EMS Humor Ring will provide just such a place. Thank you!