-You have to remind yourself that any stories involving body fluids or the words "bedpan" and "pureed foods" must be saved for fellow aides and nursing students (you find them perfectly run-of-the-mill but your family and friends turn green the second they start)
-You justify your post-work ice cream feasts by telling yourself that you MUST have worked off a lot of those calories during the mad rush of your shift
-A new admit that needs only 1 assist and is AAOx3 is almost as good as a Christmas present
-You wish that you could remember some of those "therapeutic responses" your nursing textbooks taught you to use with Alzheimer's/dementia patients
-You get so hungry during your shift that some of the food that arrives on the residents' dinner trays begins to look strangely appetizing...
-You know that when a resident leaves for the evening with their family, they WILL come back and want to go to bed 2 minutes before the shift is over
-You stifle a huge urge to laugh when a resident is horribly distraught over the loss of one cheap, ordinary white sock
-You think about how surreal (and potentially wonderful) a "normal" job would be-where you'd never have to wear scrubs or deal with body fluids and EVERYONE would be walking independently and not confused!
-You've had dreams involving bed alarms, call lights, etc.
