By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

One of the greater frustrations of human existence is feeling like you're not able to do your best in a job you know you were born to do, particularly when the barriers to performance are out of your control.

That's true no matter what your job is, but it takes on a whole new dimension when your job is to care for the sick and dying.

Kerry Lineham, a registered nurse at Kuakini Hospital for 10 years, tried to describe what he believes led to the nurses' strike.

"We want to get to know our patients, take time to talk story with them, find out how's the best way to treat them for who they are,"

Lineham said. "Instead, all we can do is run in, throw some meds down their throats, take a few vital signs and run out to the next one."

From Kuakini's point of view, it's a matter of coming to an agreement on staffing and scheduling numbers.

"We do support the same stance that (the nurses' union) has," said Kuakini spokeswoman Donda Spiker. But each hospital has its own set of circumstances.

For the past three weeks, nurses striking at three O'ahu hospitals — Kuakini, The Queen's Medical Center and St. Francis — have held signs reading "Patients need healthy nurses!" and "It's not about wages, it's about safe patient care."

They've used phrases such as "safe staffing" to talk about the complex issues that led them to walk off the job. At this point, they're not sure their message is getting across to the general public.

There hasn't been much of a community outcry to get the strike settled. It's not as if thousands of school children have nowhere to spend their days, or toilet paper is in short supply. The hospitals are still functioning. Few people have been affected or inconvenienced. Also, many of the nurses have income from second jobs, and there is such a need for nurses in general that there are jobs available elsewhere.

Nurses are thought of as possessing not only infinite compassion, but almost superhuman endurance. The point they're trying to make with this strike, they say, is that they can take a lot, but they're human after all.

"Imagine if you go to work and don't know if you are going to get off at 5 p.m. or 12 midnight," said Cherie Raymond, a registered nurse and labor coordinator for the Hawaii Nurses' Association. "Maybe you have kids to pick up, or someone elderly to take care of — but you've got to work anyway."

Their legendary endurance may be put to the test during this strike.

During Friday's "Rally for Safe Staffing" at Thomas Square by the Hawai'i

Nurses' Association, legendary labor leader Ah Quon McElrath brought up images of a protracted strike, like the sugar and dock strikes of the 1930s and '40s.

"It's up to you to decide if you're going to be on strike for 21 days or for six months," McElrath told the nurses. "Hang in there and keep on doing that which you have been doing, with skill, love and compassion."

It seems, by the looks of steadfast resignation on their faces, that that's what they plan to do: endure.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.