It's been a while since I joined @air-clinic's public forum. I hope my views as a nurse continue to be welcome here.

With all regard for fairness and equality, I believe that privilege should be given to all health care professionals in the same manner. I speak of privilege in terms of fair rights and equal treatment.

Surely, all professionals have different responsibilities, varied years of education and differences in experiences, principles and standards of practice but that difference should not equate to difference in treatment. Being treated in the most humane way possible is a fundamental right and nobody should be given the right to decide who gets to receive more rights than others. We can't let ourselves play God, you know. We have the same goal - to care for patients across their lifespan- and I don't see why a difference in profession takes a away a person's privilege to anything. It just doesn't make that much sense.

Some people may argue that doctors be given special privileges because they have more responsibilities or spent longer years studying. But a person need not step up a to a higher medical position to be given full respect, attention, with equal rights and privileges. Besides, any negligence or malpractice committed by any party makes him liable either way and is judged NOT by your profession but through the degree of fault. All health care professionals should know that by now.

In the end, I believe it all boils down to a very fundamental ethical principle in the medical field - JUSTICE.

We need to give people what is due to them regardless of any social, professional or hierarchical strata. We do this to our patients, our clients, and most certainly does it hold true towards our colleagues in the health field.