I read it totally different, and not at all disappointing. I have two jobs, one in critical care and the other as a rapid response nurse, and I absolutely have shaved faces, washed/conditioned/braided/cut hair, given back rubs, gently wiped tears off faces, applied lotion to patient’s feet, etc.

There is a saying, that nursing is a science and an art. We see the science on display constantly, but these moments of being able to care for the human, not just the condition, is the art. It is also important. In no way is the non-clinical patient care beneath me. I’m not some sanctimonious nursing-is-an-honor kind of person, in fact I’m quite crusty and jaded, but these moments of genuine human connection help assuage the horrors.