C'mon brag a little!!!!!

mother/babyRN, RN · Jun 14, 2002

Hey, Why don't you tell everyone YOUR preference, if you have one. Bet that might start some discussion. I don't know that I have a favorite area but think I feel realtively comfortable where I am at the moment, which is OB, although it can be as tough as any other area and rarely gets as much respect. Guess that would have to be a pet peeve of mine.

Loved doing diabetic teaching and love the teaching I have been able to do in all the units I have been fortunate enough to work in, including chronic pediatrics, med surg, diabetic treatment , cardiac care and now OB...Love to see how teaching and empathetic care affect families in a positive way.......YOUR turn...:)

live4today, RN · Jun 14, 2002

I am game for working ANY unit EXCEPT Intensive Care (been there/done that), Urology (GI/GU PERIOD!), Respiratory, and ER.

Other than those mentioned, bring it on! :)

sandstormsdust · Jun 14, 2002

I was thinking this post would be FULL of reply's.... and also that this post would be an excellent one in the student forum.... but oh well...

Although I haven't started schooling.... I would love to work in ER or L/D.... I think that it would be exciting to work shifts... (Okay - that's all I know :) ) and I would love to be on the 'front' lines. I also think that in these departments I would feel more at home... since they are the departments that with family and friends I find myself in....

biscuit_007 · Jun 14, 2002

I love PICU. The kids always make it worth comming to work.

fergus51 · Jun 14, 2002

L&D definitely. What other area of the hospital is home to such a miraculous event? Even when the outcome is bad, the relationship that a nurse can develop with the patient means that it is always meaningful...I feel absolutely privilledged to be a part of bringing a new person into the world.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 14, 2002

:cool: :cool: I've been in Radiology for 20 years now, and like feeling I've helped patients "get through" their angio, heart cath, biopsy, MRI, CT, whatever! Most of the time we are 1:1, "the nurse" for the procedure. Often we do the preliminary pre-procedure education so have a few min. to establish trust in the staff (all of us: Special procedures technologist, MD and nurse), to let pt know by word/attitude:"WE WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU." There is variety and complexity in our work; we use multifaceted nursing skills, and work as a team with Radiologists who (act like!) they respect our skills, observations and opinions. Most of all, like all the other posters, I feel we make a difference for our patients.

I like starting an IV first time; reassuring pts; listening to each share previous experiences (good or bad; they all have a story to tell) and being honest when comparing pt expectations with what to really expect (well-meaning friends' horror stories aside!); preventing problems by close attention to patients response to meds and phases of procedures; developing patient education/instruction materiels; developing flow sheets/logs/whatever helps us do the job better; anticipating the Rad's next move/step and being a step ahead, to help; educating other nurses about what Radiology nurses do! (ask me! this is the tip of the iceberg!!) :p --- Diana

judy ann · Jun 14, 2002

Oh boy Fergus, do I agree with you! There is nothing like a newborn's first cry, like a new mom/dad's face when looking into the baby's eyes, like being a part of a truly blessed event. It is a challenging place to work, in that you have NO time to figure out what is going on, you must react almost instintively when something happens, you cannot ask your patient to wait even an instant. You meet a cross section of humanity, the parents, the grandparents, etc,etc,etc. You have a great deal of responsiblity. (The doctor can't be there all the time, and you are)

It is such a joy to meet a mom in the grocery or wherever and have her recognize you (I never recognize her) and call you "my labor nurse" and proudly show off "our baby".

It's a wonderful feeling to know that you were the one in the rural hospital that recognized the HELLP symptoms and convinced the doctor that, even though it was 2 AM, he needed to come in and transfer her to a tertiery center. You know that you are the one that saved not only her life, but that of her baby!

It's is so fun when the multip arrives at 7 cm, and you know the doctor can't make it for the delivery, and you tell him to be careful driving in, you have caught a baby or two in the past. At delivery, mom delivers a smallish girl. You think"She seemed larger than that". She crowns an intact bag of water--with hair behind it. Right, undiagnosed twins!.. While listening to the FHT, the mom asked why I was doing this. My answer? "Unless your placenta has a heartbeat, you have another baby in there! " Shortly after delivery of the second girl and the placenta, the doctor arrived. "How is my patient? Did she deliver?" I told him that I had delivered two babies for him. He looked surprised--"I had two patients?" The patient said "One patient, two babies, doctor, I had TWINS!" That was fun especially since everything turned out right, both babies and the mom (and dad) were fine and the doc has told the story so many times he's going to wear it out.

It is so sad when we lose a baby (or a mom). I cry with the family, I pray with the family. I do whatever I can to help the family at this difficult time. Even though this is a very hard time for OB nurses, it is a part of our beloved specialty. I try to accept that God needed that little angel in heaven.

I'm not usually this wordy, but you've hit my love--obstetrics. I've worked low risk L/D, high risk L/D, post partum, newborn nursery, and high risk antipartum, as well as working for a telephone triage that did only high risk ob patients. (I haven't hit NICU) I hear there are other specialties in nursing, but I doubt it, and if there are, I don't want to go there. :saint:

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 14, 2002

Have really appreciated other posts. I've heard other Rad nurses complain about feeling like the Ugly Stepchild in the hospital; EACH area is awe-inspiring in the amount of work/knowledge/savvy required for nurses to keep pace. L&D, I still cry whenever I see a baby born (!!)you have phenomenal knowledge/skills; NICU, loved my small charges when I worked there 25 yr ago; Med/Surg, we get every one of your pts, and what a time you must have keeping up with everything going on w/them (such a variety of multiple diagnoses) - gotta be organized!!; ICU/CCU/SICU/PICU, great attention to details, what intuition you gotta have; Burn, Peds, Specialty CLINICS (how do you keep it together to see all those pts??!!), ---- I know I forgot someone somewhere --- you all deserve 200% raises (or more!) for what you do under extreme conditions! X-games, X-etc are nothin' compared to the nurses (I was gonna say X-nurses but some may take that the wrong way . . .didn't mean it X-rated!!) Yes, I love MY area; gotta brag about all the others too. ARRRGGGGGHHHH! Wordy again! TTFN! --- Diana

heartholder · Jun 14, 2002

I am not a wordy nurse. but I have been in the OR. and it is not the field that gets the glory but I am proud to be an OR nurse. I get one on one with my patients and get a few minutes to establish a trust relationship. I alway tell the patients that they won't remember me, but we (the team) will take good care of them. I have also had to call a family and let them know that things aren't going well in surgery and try to prepare them for the worse. It is not an easy thing to do. I often hold hands with the patient while they go to sleep. and treat all my patients with the respect that I would treat my family with. I have been lucky to learn all the services in surgery. my least favorite is Ortho, just don't like all the instruments. I love doing the hearts. we have the family come into holding to see pts before they go into surgery. and I talk to family before surgery and then every hour during the surgery, just to keep them updated. as well as all the documentation that they keep adding to.

well I thought I wasn't a wordy nurse. but I do love what I do and I am good at it. and Yea I would love a raise.

Joy

huggietoes · Jun 14, 2002

I started this post mainly because I am a brand new, green as H#LL GN who is beginning in the ICU. It is great to see such enthusiasm for each area, especially Radiology, YOU GO! I had no idea what Radiology nursing entailed, I think the majority of people simply think that you position/prep patients for xray. L&D very interesting and fast paced, never the same day twice, but you know I just can not tolerate the screaming patients, nervous husbands, bloody show, lochia.... Thanks to everyone who replied.

SHELLYBELLYRN · Jun 14, 2002

Well, I don't work in hospital setting, but I LOVE family practice!!

You really get to know all of your patients, their families, and ultimately could be treating a grown-up that has been coming to the office since childhood. You really have the chance to bond, to become "their nurse", and many opportunities to go the extra mile (helping poor patients get meds, helping older people get hooked up with the resources they need, etc.). You get to know their health histories, get time (or MAKE TIME) to teach them about diabetic self-care, modified diets, help them understand what will happen in the diagnostic tests they're going to have......

You get the picture........

My only "complaint" is that most nurses don't think that office nurses are "real nurses" or that they don't have to work very hard..........but anyone who's worked in an office that sees 15 patients or more before lunch, and 17 or more after lunch (per doctor) knows that it's definitely NOT easy!