What's your favorite/least favorite part of your job?

My favorite part about my job is that we have the privilege of getting to know people personally. We are trusted with intimate details of their lives and take care of them during sometimes very scary and difficult times in their lives. For example today I learned that my pt's wife left him and took their mobile home leaving him homeless. He's extremely stressed as he likely has lymphoma and sometimes really wants to run away from the hospital but knows he needs to be here. Any other stranger who had met him today would very likely never know these things and would just meet him in passing and forget about him. As I am somewhat of a control freak and really hate when there's something wrong I cant fix, nursing is great for me because I feel like I can do something. Even if all I can do is be kind and have a listening ear, its something.

That brings me to my least favorite part, which is that though I can make a difference there will still always be things beyond my control. It really bothers me when I feel there my hands are tied. Like another pt today who has huge wounds on his butt that look like second degree burns that were doing nothing for but some A&D ointment because he has an underlying psych issue and picks at his skin. Though I know he has chronic skin/psych issues and they are self inflicted I feel like a terrible nurse not doing something more for the wounds. (he has them all over)

I also want to add that I absolutely love that I learn new things all the time in nursing! And I absolutely cannot stand when doctors act like Im invisible.

Love: getting to know people and forging relationships with them. Also knowing they trust you -especially when u hand them a cup full of pills and they just chow down

Hate: LOL this is going to sound bad but I'd say changing diapers. Especially when they have C diff,diarrhea or suspected C Diff

And I'd also have to say at the times when I encounter people who think I'm their slave I hate that but still learning to hand it

It's all about boundaries!

Favorite - cleaning up code browns

Least - doing male perineal care (I just get the females to do it)

Cleaning up poop is your favorite thing? That is honestly creepy...

Favorite: I work in surgical ICU and I love when patients get extubated and really get better quickly. There is nothing like starting your day with a sedated and ventilated patient, and leave with an awake person chatting to their family members and ready for a transfer to the floor. Seeing people recover well makes it worthwhile.
Least favorite: Unpredictability. I am the kind of person who plots out a mental outline plan for my day. I like routine and structure in my work. Sick people are unpredictable. Sometimes your recovering patient takes an unexpected nosedive and all your plans go out the window. This is a professon where you have no clue what kind of day you are going to have.

Fav- Clocking out
Least fav- Clocking in

Seriously: My favorite part of the job is being a pt. advocate. Knowing when my pt. is going down and doing everything I can to "fix" them. Motivating my patients, and doing personal care ( love when my patients are fresh and clean).
Least fav- all the paperwork, and documenation. I know its' necessary but it is alot and ofcourse dealing with not so sunny coworkers.

My thoughts exactly!!!! I love when I can get that PA cath, foley, cordis, EPPW, d/c'd. I love extubations as well.

I bursted out laughing at this!!!!! lol I def. hope the poster is kidding...

Favorite: taking care of a critical patient that has a fighting chance; explaining the plan of care to the family member/teaching them, building rapport
Least favorite: taking care of a critical patient with a poor prognosis; explaining the plan of care to demanding family members