The Importance of Care 南丁格爾與國際護士節
Nurses provide a great service, and May 12 is a day set aside to recognize these unsung heroes.
護士為我們提供偉大的服務，而在 5 月 12 日國際護士節這天，讓我們一起向這些無名英雄致敬。
Hospitals save lives, and the doctors that work in them are heroes to many. Of course, it isn't all up to the doctors. Along with all the other valuable workers who contribute to the health care industry, there are those who have a unique and noble function: nurses. While a busy doctor often rushes in to give a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment, a nurse has a different role that is equally important—attending to the patient's needs.
It is nurses who do the job of providing comfort for patients and their families, teaching people about health and hygiene, and helping patients from day to day. Without the help of nurses, doctors would not be able to treat all their patients, or at least not as effectively. Unfortunately, losing nurses is not just a hypothetical problem these days. A nursing shortage has been growing in many parts of the world, and it's having noticeable effects on health care.
With populations continually increasing in many countries, the number of trained nurses is not keeping up. Some places such as India are losing their best nurses to other countries that offer better salaries and less stressful working conditions. It's mandatory for nurses to keep up with ever-changing medical technology and recent developments with medicine. Demands such as these, along with insufficient staff numbers, are resulting in poor patient treatments and occasional medical errors. Nurses are there for us in our times of need, but who is there for them when they need it?
單字小舖
1. diagnosis n. 診斷（單數形）
diagnoses n. 診斷（複數形）
2. hygiene n. 衛生
3. effectively adv. 有效地
4. shortage n. 短缺，不足
food shortages 糧食短缺
5. stressful a. 緊張的；壓力重的
6. ever-changing a. 不斷改變的
7. staff n.（全體）職員（集合名詞）
a staff member 一名職員
8. occasional a. 偶爾的
片語小舖
1. be up to sb 取決於某人，在於某人
2. along with... 連同……（一起）
3. contribute to... 對……作出貢獻
4. provide sth for sb 提供某物給某人
= provide sb with sth
5. have an effect on... 對……有影響
= have an influence on...
= have an impact on...
精解字詞片語
1. function n. 職責；功能 & vi. 起作用
serve the function of... 有……的功能；充當……用
= function as...
例: The gym functions as a training center for the local baseball team.
（這間體育館被當地的棒球隊用來當作訓練中心。）
2. prescribe vt. 開（藥方）
例: Why did the doctor prescribe you sleeping pills for your stomachache?
（為什麼你胃痛，但醫生卻開安眠藥給你？）
3. attend to... 料理∕照顧……
例: Amy had to leave the meeting early to attend to some family business.
（愛咪得提前離開會議去處理家中的事務。）
4. hypothetical a. 假設的，假定的
例: Let me ask you a hypothetical question. If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
（我問你一個假設性的問題。要是你只剩 24 小時可活，你會怎麼做？）
5. noticeable a. 顯著的
例: Ed's black eye was noticeable when he wasn't wearing sunglasses.
（艾德沒戴太陽眼鏡時，眼部的瘀青非常明顯。）
6. continually adv. 不斷地
例: Tina was fired for continually talking to her friends online.
（蒂娜因為上班時不斷在線上和朋友聊天而被開除。）
7. keep up 跟得上，不落後
keep up with... 跟上……
例: Shannon had a hard time keeping up in her philosophy class.
（夏儂在上哲學課的時候跟不上進度。）
例: Kent couldn't keep up with Tim during the race, so he quit halfway through.
（肯特在賽跑中因為跟不上提姆的速度而中途棄賽。）
8. lose...to... 流失……到………
例: The bookstore is losing all of its customers to the big discount chain down the road.
（那家書店的客源正在流失，顧客都轉到街上那家大型折扣連鎖書店去了。）
9. mandatory a. 義務的；強制的
例: It is mandatory for all citizens in that country to serve in the military for two years.
（該國所有公民都要服兩年的兵役。）
10. insufficient a. 不足的
sufficient a. 足夠的
例: Al had insufficient funds on his credit card to pay for the diamond ring.
（艾爾的信用卡額度不夠他付這顆鑽戒的錢。）
11. result in... 造成∕導致……
result from... 起因於……
例: Sometimes, hesitation can result in missed opportunities.
（有時候，猶豫不決會造成錯失良機。）
例: Sarah's cold resulted from walking in the rain.
（莎拉的感冒起因於淋雨走路。）
醫院能救人性命，而在醫院裡工作的醫生更是許多人心目中的英雄。當然，醫生並不能全然掌握生死大計，還有許多重要的工作人員也同樣為醫療產業盡心盡力，其中就包括了擁有特殊崇高職務的護士。當忙碌的醫生匆匆趕到現場診斷病患、開立處方時，護士就扮演了另一個同等重要的角色──照護病人的需要。
是護士一肩扛起撫慰病人和家屬、宣導健康衛生觀念，以及每日協助病人的重責大任。沒有護士的協助，醫生就無法治療所有的病患，或者效果也會大打折扣。不幸的是，現今護士流失不只是假設性的問題而已，世界各地紛紛掀起護士荒，而這現象也對保健系統造成非常大的影響。
許多國家都有人口膨脹的問題，但是合格護士的數目並未隨之增加。在有些地方，像是印度，就不敵其他國家待遇更優渥、負擔更輕鬆的工作環境，而導致護士外流的現象。護士必須隨時掌握日新月異的醫療科技和藥物的最新發展。以上種種原因，再加上醫療人員的短缺，造成照護病患的品質不佳，以及偶爾的醫療疏失。護士總是能照顧我們的需要，但又有誰照顧她們的需要呢？
護士為我們提供偉大的服務，而在 5 月 12 日國際護士節這天，讓我們一起向這些無名英雄致敬。
Hospitals save lives, and the doctors that work in them are heroes to many. Of course, it isn't all up to the doctors. Along with all the other valuable workers who contribute to the health care industry, there are those who have a unique and noble function: nurses. While a busy doctor often rushes in to give a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment, a nurse has a different role that is equally important—attending to the patient's needs.
It is nurses who do the job of providing comfort for patients and their families, teaching people about health and hygiene, and helping patients from day to day. Without the help of nurses, doctors would not be able to treat all their patients, or at least not as effectively. Unfortunately, losing nurses is not just a hypothetical problem these days. A nursing shortage has been growing in many parts of the world, and it's having noticeable effects on health care.
With populations continually increasing in many countries, the number of trained nurses is not keeping up. Some places such as India are losing their best nurses to other countries that offer better salaries and less stressful working conditions. It's mandatory for nurses to keep up with ever-changing medical technology and recent developments with medicine. Demands such as these, along with insufficient staff numbers, are resulting in poor patient treatments and occasional medical errors. Nurses are there for us in our times of need, but who is there for them when they need it?
單字小舖
1. diagnosis n. 診斷（單數形）
diagnoses n. 診斷（複數形）
2. hygiene n. 衛生
3. effectively adv. 有效地
4. shortage n. 短缺，不足
food shortages 糧食短缺
5. stressful a. 緊張的；壓力重的
6. ever-changing a. 不斷改變的
7. staff n.（全體）職員（集合名詞）
a staff member 一名職員
8. occasional a. 偶爾的
片語小舖
1. be up to sb 取決於某人，在於某人
2. along with... 連同……（一起）
3. contribute to... 對……作出貢獻
4. provide sth for sb 提供某物給某人
= provide sb with sth
5. have an effect on... 對……有影響
= have an influence on...
= have an impact on...
精解字詞片語
1. function n. 職責；功能 & vi. 起作用
serve the function of... 有……的功能；充當……用
= function as...
例: The gym functions as a training center for the local baseball team.
（這間體育館被當地的棒球隊用來當作訓練中心。）
2. prescribe vt. 開（藥方）
例: Why did the doctor prescribe you sleeping pills for your stomachache?
（為什麼你胃痛，但醫生卻開安眠藥給你？）
3. attend to... 料理∕照顧……
例: Amy had to leave the meeting early to attend to some family business.
（愛咪得提前離開會議去處理家中的事務。）
4. hypothetical a. 假設的，假定的
例: Let me ask you a hypothetical question. If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
（我問你一個假設性的問題。要是你只剩 24 小時可活，你會怎麼做？）
5. noticeable a. 顯著的
例: Ed's black eye was noticeable when he wasn't wearing sunglasses.
（艾德沒戴太陽眼鏡時，眼部的瘀青非常明顯。）
6. continually adv. 不斷地
例: Tina was fired for continually talking to her friends online.
（蒂娜因為上班時不斷在線上和朋友聊天而被開除。）
7. keep up 跟得上，不落後
keep up with... 跟上……
例: Shannon had a hard time keeping up in her philosophy class.
（夏儂在上哲學課的時候跟不上進度。）
例: Kent couldn't keep up with Tim during the race, so he quit halfway through.
（肯特在賽跑中因為跟不上提姆的速度而中途棄賽。）
8. lose...to... 流失……到………
例: The bookstore is losing all of its customers to the big discount chain down the road.
（那家書店的客源正在流失，顧客都轉到街上那家大型折扣連鎖書店去了。）
9. mandatory a. 義務的；強制的
例: It is mandatory for all citizens in that country to serve in the military for two years.
（該國所有公民都要服兩年的兵役。）
10. insufficient a. 不足的
sufficient a. 足夠的
例: Al had insufficient funds on his credit card to pay for the diamond ring.
（艾爾的信用卡額度不夠他付這顆鑽戒的錢。）
11. result in... 造成∕導致……
result from... 起因於……
例: Sometimes, hesitation can result in missed opportunities.
（有時候，猶豫不決會造成錯失良機。）
例: Sarah's cold resulted from walking in the rain.
（莎拉的感冒起因於淋雨走路。）
醫院能救人性命，而在醫院裡工作的醫生更是許多人心目中的英雄。當然，醫生並不能全然掌握生死大計，還有許多重要的工作人員也同樣為醫療產業盡心盡力，其中就包括了擁有特殊崇高職務的護士。當忙碌的醫生匆匆趕到現場診斷病患、開立處方時，護士就扮演了另一個同等重要的角色──照護病人的需要。
是護士一肩扛起撫慰病人和家屬、宣導健康衛生觀念，以及每日協助病人的重責大任。沒有護士的協助，醫生就無法治療所有的病患，或者效果也會大打折扣。不幸的是，現今護士流失不只是假設性的問題而已，世界各地紛紛掀起護士荒，而這現象也對保健系統造成非常大的影響。
許多國家都有人口膨脹的問題，但是合格護士的數目並未隨之增加。在有些地方，像是印度，就不敵其他國家待遇更優渥、負擔更輕鬆的工作環境，而導致護士外流的現象。護士必須隨時掌握日新月異的醫療科技和藥物的最新發展。以上種種原因，再加上醫療人員的短缺，造成照護病患的品質不佳，以及偶爾的醫療疏失。護士總是能照顧我們的需要，但又有誰照顧她們的需要呢？
