Not just an Ordinary Nurse

Being a nurse is not just about passing medications, it is so much more...family, caring, and education++ Nurses Announcements Archive Article

Not just an Ordinary Nurse

Becoming an LPN was a goal I made come true in 2011. I'm 51 and went back to school and have been an LPN now for over 5 years. My being a nurse not only has been very educational, but rewarding. Along with my career, I have gained so much knowledge and made some errors as well. For anyone coming into nursing, please note, you are not a superhero so please realize this before you have that bubble busted and left feeling inferior because you are NOT!

I write this for I have worked in many different areas of nursing, from Assisted Living/Dementia care, Urgent Care, Pain Management and now Long Term Care doing Skilled Care. I do have a passion for nursing, this is why I have gained knowledge in many different areas to find where I really belong.

To this "Being a nurse is not just about passing medications, it is so much more...family, caring, and education+++". Last night, and like this night and so many other nights, educating the family and the patient is so important. Many nurses don't realize that the nurse before them may or may not have helped the patient and family understand what is going on with their care, how to get help if needed while in the facility, where to go for a meal, how to pay for a meal, what to do if they need sleep items to stay with their relative in the facility being cared for. Please don't forget our families need some education and help too. The patient is our utmost importance, yet our family is too.

I went into a room last night, this is a true story. Last night a relative that stays every night with her mom came to me while I was passing medications and asked if I would encourage her mom to drink, that she has not been drinking much and if I could encourage her, of course, I told her I would. I went to her mom's room and talked to her mom as if this patient was my own mom and how I would want my mom to be spoken to. I said, "Is it okay if your daughter helps me tonight". The patient responded "yes". I told her "I need your daughter to help me because I am really busy and I am here for you, but I need her help, can I have her to help me give you drinks, that I need to help you drink and help you get more fluids down". The patient said yes, that would be okay. I told her, smiling, that I depended on her daughter to help me, smiling. The patient said that would be okay. I told her I would be back to check on her to see if her daughter was doing her job, smiling. She said okay.

An hour passed and the daughter came to the nursing station and told me that her mom allowed her to help her, that she was drinking and in fact, drank the entire glass of lemonade and more water since I had spoken to her. I told the daughter that sometimes it takes a person, not family to encourage different things needed. The daughter was so thankful that I did this. I went to the patients room and told her I really appreciated her daughters help and I am so glad she drank all that she did and to keep up doing this and she would feel better. The patient told me, I do feel better. I smiled back at her and felt so good.

Being a nurse not only is about passing medications safely, it is so much more. I recently had a supervisor on my case about everything I do, it is merely a personality thing, but after this, it made me realize and confirm once again that I am a good nurse and I do belong here. No one can make you feel inferior unless you allow them to.

I lost mom and dad 2 years ago and always remember looking at my patients that I would want my mom and dad treated the same way I treat and speak to my patients. Sometimes its about "just being human" and having compassion along with nursing sense. The word nursing is more than just that, we are the everything at times for the patient, the family and our peers.

I love nursing in that on the worse days I have I often have just one patient lift my spirits by whatever it is I have done and seeing them smile back. Not all patients will be so "fluffy and happy", yet the ones that seem to be so needy, they too are important and are often the ones missed more when they have left our facility or passed on to a better place. You think that would never be, right, yet all the patients leave something on your heart, and I have a big heart for all the patients I care for, including the family I see.

Education and teaching too go along with nursing. If you don't know something, go find it and pass it along. So many times a family just does not understand simple terms, so never forget the teaching and love that comes with our titles as Nurses. Remember, nursing is a very hard job, yet very very rewarding....go with love, care and respect!

Rose S....

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betweenus64

About betweenus64, LPN

I've been a nurse since 2011 and find every day rewarding in some way.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Thank you for going the extra mile when providing nursing care. I am assured that your residents and their families at the skilled nursing facility appreciate it.

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Thanks....I keep continuing the being a great nurse even though staff hates the fact I'm like this, they are so jealous and my supervisor does not give me praise or credit...but I know I am doing a great job. Last night a family is there waiting for their member to pass on, they asked me if we could put a sign on the door, of course, we will accommodate whatever request you have and we are here for you. I love being a good nurse. Even if others don't like the fact that I am new here to the facility., they can't run me off.....I see that the new people are being treated so unfairly like they are being run off or something and things being said, I even heard one nurse say "why are they hiring people that don't know anything, its like they are taking whatever they can get". Well, I wanted to tell her, but did not, that they were once new to nursing and they had to learn it too, so give these people a chance, including myself. This type of attitude makes me sick!

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I loved reading this!! You state so many valid points. I'm not a nurse, I am currently pre nursing but it's easy to see that you have the perfect heart of a good nurse!

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Thanks to both of you for the wonderful comments. I am really trying to be the best I can be but I have a supervisor that hates me. She made a comment last night that I was laughing and it was not funny to now know what meds I was giving, the fact that I was laughing was so untrue of why I laughing, I never said anything about not knowing the med I was just laughing at a thought I had. She has it in for me and I hate my job so far there at this facility only because of her. I deal with her so closely it is very hard, I am looking to switch jobs or shifts, yet waiting is hard. I went over her head yet was scolded for this. Nursing is so hard without this.

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Specializes in Nursing Home.

Great story. Never too old to pursue your dreams. I'm 21 now and I received my License to Practice as an LPN when I was 20. Being a Nurse has definently changed my life. It's helped me mature in many ways. And being an LPN doesn't make me rich but I live comfortably and know I can support a child and take on whatever else life has to bring.

You are so right in so much that you say. So many Nurses especially in LTC dread the enviroment. If you let it, it can become pass meds and go home and become very boring. But there's so much more too it . These residents and families have so much to learn and they need a "Nurse". Not a pill pusher. A nurse who can educate them, explain there meds to them, assess them.

There is so much that LTC has to offer to a Nurse. Especially LPNs. But it's not a physical thing. In most LTCs we are not using top notch physical advanced nursing skills, but when you turn your mind on, you realize that there's so much more. Assessment skills, critical thinking skills, learning lots of meds, lots of documentation, leadership and charge nurse skills, resident education etc.

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