Before I became a nurse...

[arizonanurse]

I never wiped anyone's bottom but my own.

I thought being a doctor automatically meant you were smart.

I never swore.

I never had to worry about contracting Hep C or HIV.

I always could count on being home on Christmas and Thanksgiving.

I never dreamt that my alarm clock was someone's call light going off.

I never thought a five-days-a-week, eight-hours-a-day desk job would seem exciting.

Nobody ever hit, kicked, or threw up on me.

I NEVER thought I'd ever say to a doctor about a patient, "I don't care if she's alive or dead, just get her out of here." (I've only said this once, so please don't call me heartless.)

Any others?

[TazziRN, RN]

Ooooh, my sentiments exactly!!! Except for the first one, I worked in the baby/toddler secction of a day care center and then did home care, so I wiped a lot of butts before becoming a nurse. The others, though, are RIGHT ON!!!!

[clemmm78, RN]

I never thought I'd sniff my clothes on the way to reassure myself that I'm not bringing home one of the dreaded odours.

[RNfromMN, BSN, RN]

I'd never walked into an employee break room with a poopy diaper in my hands to ask a nurse (while she was eating dinner) if it was enough for a stool sample. Didn't phase the nurse either, until I realized what I had done:trout: .

I'd never had to hold someone's arm down with all my might to stop them from eating their own poop just to gross others out.

I'd never helped someone who couldn't walk up to the drinking fountain at his request, only to have him stick his thumb in the faucet, spraying water everywhere while he laughed!

I'd never looked across a bed at my co-worker before & just busted out laughing because we were both drenched in sweat & exhausted trying to turn a man with elephantitus:rotfl: .

I'd never held a baby before & realized that he had to fight & absolutely struggle to take every breath:( .

I'd never thrown a blanket in a dryer in order to increase the temp on a baby who was in constant pain, but who's mother would only allow him to have Tylenol if his temp reached a certain degree:coollook: .

I never had dreams of being at work, pulling back the curtain of a new patient to find it was a dear family member:eek: .

I'd never worked a noc shift, swearing up & down that something didn't smell right, then as the sun came up, looked at my arm to find poop stains on it!

I'd never fed someone their supper tray only to watch most of it's partially digested contents spill out of their old unused g-stoma during their bath.

I'd never heard the "pop" of a g-tube accidentally being pulled out of someone's stomach.

I'd never tried to reinsert a g-tube that had accidentally popped out of someone's stomach...never have since, either!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I was shy, meek, introverted, making pizzas at Pizza Hut for $3.20/hour........

[TazziRN, RN]

I'd never thrown a blanket in a dryer in order to increase the temp on a baby who was in constant pain, but who's mother would only allow him to have Tylenol if his temp reached a certain degree

OMG.....I had to read this several times before it made sense.........

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

i'd run up two flights of stairs gather some shoe boxes from several locations have clients walk out after trying on several pairs.

kinda like having a new admit who gets admitted to the hospital, has orders for dilauded and refuses an iv then walks out ama after you've done all the admitting paperwork...at least i'm not sales commision dependent anymore!

:icon_roll :bowingpur :icon_roll

[SitcomNurse, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN]

I never thought I'd give an enema with a lollipop in my mouth, cuz I forgot it was there, and once I was all set up, what was I to do with it?(it was a grape tootsie pop)

I never thought I would make a decision that so totally affected someones life, that 3 years later they still thank me.

I never imagined that I could handle any medical emergency for anyone who needed it, except my own child with a skinned knee. :)

I too thought doctors were infallable.

I never thought I would work with so many people who infuriate me so much, and yet, I would want them running my code.

I didnt realize God was laughing so hard when he gave me my BSN, as to set me in the same job my Grandmother had. (I love you Nana).

[GardenDove]

I was shy, meek, introverted, making pizzas at Pizza Hut for $3.20/hour........

Tweety, you are one lovable human being.

[GardenDove]

Before I was a nurse, I was a broke stay at home mother to 4 sons, then I was an artist/finisher, barely scrapping out a meager living and dependent on a relationship with a flakey guy named Woody who was into Tantra. LOL

Nursing school made me the semi-mature person that I am today. It gave me autonomy and confidence.

[Ann RN]

I never drank coffee.:smilecoffeeIlovecof

I never thought I would be bagging twins born at 6 months, 1 with each hand.

I never witnessed the miracle of birth.

I never thought I would hold my hand in someone's aorta, saddling them on a stretcher on the way to the OR.

I never thought I could ache so much at the end of the day, yet smile because my patient looked up at me and said "thank you".

[samaletta]

Today, I woke up at 4p after working a midnight shift. My boyfriend works midnight as well and had the alarm set. The alarm went off and I screamed....."check his sugar!!" my b/f was like wth??

never thought I would be yelling stuff like that when i first wake up.