your favourite??

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

When someone comes into ICU in deep trouble, and you can actually make a difference -- they clue in that it's time to start managing their diabetes, or CHF, or COPD or whatever, and you know if you see them back, it'll be for something else.

When someone's circling the drain and scaring themselves to death and you can take their hand and say, "Listen to me. I've got you. You're not going anywhere tonight." And you say it because you've just figured out their problem is low Mg, or K, or they need a good stiff shot of Lasix, and you actually can fix them -- however temporarily.

I love the hour before dawn....it's like the world's holding it's breath before it takes the first big inhale of the day. It's the hour when I know that my "peeps" are going to make it thru the night, or I'll be doing postmortem care before I go home.

diva rn, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

Gosh Butterfly,

I guess I am sort of the opposite of you.

I do case management now and medical review for insurance companies which can be down right :yawn: , uh excuse me, boring.

But when I was in PICU for many years my absolute favorite was to have a patient who was vented with about 10 lines and drips....and it would be a really good night if we had a code (well a successful code).

I always worked 12h nights and it would really make those shifts fly...and it was really gratifying to have a patient pull through a dire situation and walk out of the hospital later.

I once had a 16yr old boy who had shot himself in the head, it was a mortal wound with his brain matter literaly oozing out of his head... he was not expected to live through the night...well 3 months later he came out of the coma, 3 months after that he went to a rehab facility and 3 months after that he came back and walked into our PICU to thank all of us for the good care he got...there was not a dry eye in the unit that night...THAT is what I LOVED about nursing.:redbeathe

ps

Oh yea, the procedure I love the most is starting IV's...and I love 12h night shifts.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

I love starting IV's. Seeing that flash makes me giddy with delight.

Dressing changes. It's like wrapping a present and making it pretty, though I use paper tape and gauze. Looks nice when done.

Putting in difficult foleys and NG's.

Now that I don't do as much hands on care that I would like, I get my gratification with keeping the unit afloat when it's almost out of control. I tell day shift I won't let any of them sink and I mean it. I do my darndest to make their day easier for them. I feel good knowing I did my job to the best of my ability.

IdrilRN, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

When/if a psychotic person figures out what the stressor is causing their psychosis.

NewTexasRN · Jun 27, 2011

My favorite aspect of nursing is the people. Patients are still people right? I love hearing their stories and about their lives. I love to learn new things about the world from them. They always surprise me. Or when they make you smile or laugh out loud when you are having a day or night from you know what. I also love when they share things with me and just me. It makes me feel that we have a bond. I like the make them laugh too. Laughter helps you to forget about your situation just for a moment. The best thing about my night (I work nights), is helping a person who was excruciating pain get through the night. I use to like admitting the pre-op patients. The process was a lot of fun because you are the first person they see when they come to the floor. You get to send of them off to surgery. The patients are usually honest and down to earth. They are scared and vulnerable and it's your job to reassure them. I love that part of the job.

No Stars In My Eyes · Jun 27, 2011

I like gatting a really crabby, difficult patient and after a while I can get them to relax and trust.........and laugh; I love to get them laughing!

caramello · Jun 27, 2011

I love the satisfaction of a good looking, clean dressing that I just changed. I also love wound vacs. There's something so satisfying about turning on the vac and seeing the "low leak" level, haha. I'm like... YESSSSSS! I think I'll eventually go back to school to be a WOCN or something, cus I really enjoy wounds!

I work nights too so my favorite part of the shift is the beginning, when you're meeting everyone and everything is going on. I like being busy!

Five&Two Will Do · Jun 27, 2011

I love the emerent situations the best. I love codes for the excitement and the necessity of keeping your cool under pressure. It is also wonderful to try and figure out what is going on with a patient in the ICU that is not doing well. I really feel like part of the healthcare team in these situations.

DaughteroftheKing · Jun 27, 2011

My favorite are little old ladies with dementia who say the funniest things! I wish I could remember half the things I've heard, but they're my favorite patients. That, and the sweet, kind, polite old men, the type that are just about extinct now...

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

I love this thread ! Me next !!! Okay, so I also love mornings and the hussle and bussle of the day shift ( even though I'm currently on evenings, bummer). I love doing little silly dance or using my good sense of humor to bring a laugh or smile about a patient. I love moments when I can give extra TLC. I love when I have the time to clean up a patient after they soiled themselves, it brings such a humility to me and I always do such a great job ! I love consulting with MDs, dietary, respiratory, and other members of the healthcare team to help make decisions for my patients. I love it all ! ( well most of the time) :rolleyes:

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

This may be weird but I get a great satisfaction when I'm able to successfully put in a foley in an elderly,obese women. This is a tough job on patient and nurse and to do it with minimal pain to patient makes me feel great ! okay, carry on.