Is there anything good that being a nurse has taught you???

[juzme]

Ok fellow nurses, we complain(and rightfully so;-) we get burned out, we become angry and all that other stuff but can you think of anything good you learned as a nurse(besides saving someone's life...and YES that is wonderful...but I mean, in dealing with people, life skills, etc?

I have learned(and I still work on it all of the time;-)...to take things alot less personally and to be more compassionate, my patient just yelled at me...hey, she is dying and angry, she is not mad at me, she is mad because she is leaving her loving husband and children who are so very young.

To let go of anger more quickly and try not to thing the worst about things...."ARGH"...the med wasn't re ordered..they are so lazy..hmmm...maybe it was innocently overlooked, because she had a terrible shift or maybe not but why be so angry about it?

there is so much more i want to type but I have to go....I just know that even though I am not in my perfect job right now or sometimes I don't want to be a nurse anymore, being a nurse has given me way more than i could I ever give back. Maybe right now around the holidays, I am becoming a little sentimental...but I am thinking of some of the patients i have had over the years...and how much they taught about about what is really important in life. I could not have that exposure as a computer programmer or a stock broker or really any other career except nursing....

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

blehhhhh , u have no idea , but one day u will ,..in this life or the next

Alrighty then. Blehhhhh to you for that.

Death is not THE worst thing to happen.

YES to this. Sometimes death is the kindest thing that can happen. Sometimes "doing everything possible" isn't the way to go. Quality of life matters.

I really love nursing. I can get exhausted when I work too much overtime or have too many frustrating shifts in a row....but I've never done anything in my life that has been so satisfying and intellectually challenging and exciting and focusing. And I'm much, much better about saying "no." No to patients and families (no you cannot leave your toddler unattended in the room while you go run errands because I don't have the time to keep your child safe while you're gone; no, you can't have any of our diet soda because we're running low and we need that for our diabetic patients and you can buy your own drinks; no, you can't run around the hall and peek in to other patients' rooms; no, I'm not going to give you patient information/medical advice over the phone; etc), no to coworkers and bosses and family too sometimes.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

Things can always be worse.

Death is not THE worst thing to happen.

While there were idiots at work, I got to leave them there.

People who advertise their worth must not have enough that just shows.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!

[tcvnurse, BSN, RN]

Nursing has made me more thankful.

Thankful I can walk, talk, pee, poop, feed myself just to name a few.

[merlee]

Some mental skills, like prioritizing, time management and keeping my cool through an emergency. How to listen, listen, really LISTEN and how to draw out the information I need. Learning the importance of what matters in my life and that my family should always come first.

My first job out of school was in neonatal ICU. There I learned it was important to want a healthy baby, because if it is ill it really does not matter what sex it is. Truly. If you pray, then pray for healthy children. No sadder sight than a very large man crying over an isolette because he 'had to have a son'. The 5 beautiful girls weren't enough. Now his baby and his wife were both septic and in ICUs. There was a chance he could lose them both. How to explain to your kids that they were not enough???

And yes, I agree that there are worse things than death - that horrible time just before death when the family wants everthing possible done for their loved one in that unrealistic way many people have.

What have I learned? To tell those that I love that I love them - every time I talk to them.

[gardentulip27]

Nursing has taught me to think fast on my feet even if they are aching. LOL It has taught me to be a team player, respect other providers, realize when I don't know something and yell for someone who might. Nursing has taught me that the way something is said is more important that what is said. Being nice to patients is always good medication!

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

A multitude of issues can be avoided or easily solved with a gentle hand and a listening ear.

It takes less time to do than argue about who should do it or why it should not be done, especially by you.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

Be more direct. Say what I mean. Recognizing there is a place when nothing less than the absolute truth is vital.

[luvazsun, RN]

Allowing myself to agree to disagree.

[SweetseRN]

Things can always be worse.

Death is not THE worst thing to happen.

While there were idiots at work, I got to leave them there.

People who advertise their worth must not have enough that just shows.

Love this!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Love is a very strong force - all types of love

Also, you can't fix stupid

[kayak133]

I am not a nurse. I am a sitting on the fence sometimes student nurse. Had several occasions in regards to physicians and my healthcare and in regards to nursing schools this past spring, summer and early fall to make me question my own sanity about continuing to do this...and, not just 'do this' but to excel at it..because if you are just going to do it...it is going to turn out mediocre...and, that is not what I want it to be. The kudos go out in more ways than one to those nurses who take an active approach to their own healthcare...that second opinions do matter...which needs to be communicated more or less down the line to the patient...also from Imintrouble...saying what you want to say, and that, nothing less than the truth is vital. Nursing school has made me realize that life and nursing is a journey...not a destination. Things take time.

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

That a popscile is more than a popsicle. It was the making of a nurse for a little girl who had a tonsillectomy in 1977. :)