It's hard to believe I have been a nurse for 2 years. It seems like just yesterday I was graduating nursing school and preparing for the NCLEX. In my eyes I am still a baby nurse, all though I can walk on my own I still depend on those higher than me for support. Lately, I have been thinking about what I have learned over the last 2 years and how much I still have to grow. The following are things I learned and know for sure about Nursing...
*Nurses are the eyes and ears of everything healthcare. We are the liaison between the patients and the physicians. We instruct, or in doctors opinions "recommend" what would be best and needs to be done to keep our patients healthy. During a twelve hour shift we commit ourselves to our patients, we start off us strangers and depart with well wishes and hope. We assess, treat, medicate, bathe, feed, reposition, walk, monitor and emotionally support our patients. We dedicate ourselves to being clincially excellent and emotionally available.. We are trusted with life threatening medical information, dying wishes and biggest fears. We see people at their worst and convince them their hair doesn't look that bad. We are everything healthcare.
* The scariest word in a hospital besides cancer, is Oops!
*Men are bigger babies than women, end of story. I have seen more men cry about lab draws, IV sticks, headaches, catheters, surgery pain and the "uncomfortable" hospital environment than any woman.
*CPR is the most violent act I have ever seen
* Bad things Happen. Wear a seat belt while driving, keep your baby buckled up in the backseat, wear a helmet, don't text and drive, don't let fido sit on your lap while operating a motor vehicle and look both ways before you cross the street!
*The hospital is a dirty dirty place. Did you know most nurses don't wear their shoes in their house? Or immediately shower after leaving the hospital? I can promise you, if you knew what was on the floor 5 minutes before you walked in to visit grandpa, you wouldn't let your kids walk around barefoot, bring linens from home, play on the floor or bring you newborn baby!
*Everything we see on Greys Anantomy, Private Practice, House or any other Medical Shows are fake and unrealistic.
*Nurses see everything and most tell their friends... Penile Implants, Piercings, Foreign Objects Stuck in Body Cavities and Strange Body Fluids, just to name a few!
*Heroin will kill you, Meth will rot your teeth, Prescription drug abuse will leave you hopeless, untrustworthy and alone, alcohol addiction will make you do anything for a drink even if it means drinking anti-freeze.
All though some days are extremely difficult both physically and emotionally. I love being a nurse. I am excited to continue learning and helping others.
LOVE A NURSE !
