Why do you like being a nurse?

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Feb 24, 2012

. Switched to accounting, spent 3.5 learning that I would rather work with people than numbers. .

I knew a couple of number-geeks, who are currently sailing the high seas in a downtrodden economy especially if they have real-world economic/business/corporate experience.

Might want to keep your pilot light burning on that background you have...just sayin'.

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Feb 24, 2012

"When you are going through something hard and wonder where God is...
Remember that the teacher is always quiet during a test."

I'm takin' that one with me.

Guest 360983 · Feb 27, 2012

I like teaching uninsured patients how to use the county system of doctors to stay OUT of the ER. Today I told one patient "Get hooked up with this program and stop hospital hopping for prescriptions." She was actually excited that she had a way to get her COPD meds without insurance.

I like helping people who have nowhere else to go. My hospital gets some of the cast-offs from other hospitals who say "Oh, you don't have insurance? Well, you're not dying so we won't help you."

I work in a city with a LOT of large, renowned hospitals. My hospital isn't a name brand hospital and has a limited budget, but we provide care that is as good or better than the care at the fancy pants hospitals. I'm very proud to be able to call a code STEMI and know that I'm part of the best STEMI time in the city, even if our facilities lack someone playing piano in the entryway. We're the underdogs, but we take the sickest patients and provide above average outcomes.

PinkNBlue, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2012

One night, I had a patient that was dying; not uncommon in an ICU setting. I spent a huge part of the night with the family, showing them what I was seeing, how the patient's BP was slowly dropping, how the respirations were becoming shallower and more infrequent. I made up a bed in the room so that the wife could spend one last night hearing her husband breathing. I got her warmed blankets from the OR, made her tea, tried to do everything I could for her on what was probably the worst night of her life. I told her that sometimes, people want to wait for sun up ... they don't want to pass away in the dark. Sure enough, just as the sun came up, my patient passed away.Some six months go by. I come in to work, and there's a letter for me at work. It's from the wife. I keep it in my wallet to this day, and it's torn on the fold lines from being pulled out, read, and put back on those bad nights. In part, here's what the letter says..I don't expect you to remember us. You were with us the night of of xxxxxx, when when my husband passed away. You were in and out all night, explained just what we should expect, and were tending him when he died as the sun came up, just as you had thought. My family wants to express to you just how much you were a blessing to us. Forgive me for taking this long to tell you we all believe you to be one of God's angels.I'm not an angel. Trust me on that one. But every once in a while, I get to stand in their shadow, and make a difference.Life is short, nurse-to-be. Fight for the chance to make a difference.

That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that.