Published Dec 5, 2011
mindlor
1,341 Posts
Clinicals were supposed to help me figure out what I want to do.....
I love Med-Surg, I love Peds, I love gerontology, I love Psych, I love OB, oy I love it all, what to do what to do...
I am older, just turned 47 and I do have substantial hearing deficit in my right ear, (my doc diagnosed the ear as "dead", LOL), so in my mind that really kind of rules out, ER, critical care, ICU, flight, etc....what do you guys think about that?
I would actually love to do OB but I dont think many units are keen on hiring men?? Thoughts? In my OB rotation I got to do a lot and the women I worked with could not have cared less that I was a man. I think the fact that I am older makes them feel more at ease than if were say 20.....just a guess there...
I have a huge huge heart for gerontological clients. oh my god getting old is hard. So much loss, so much shoulda coulda woulda, the loss of independence. Yet they have so much knowledge and insight. The vast majority of them are just wonderful to work with....
Peds, I love it. I do not know why, but my whole life, children look at me and instantly like me, all the way from infants to adolescents. I do not understand this, but hey its a good thing right? I worked with an adolescent cancer patient and her family for several hours and by the end of shift it was like I was a part of their family and I really felt I was able to be very therapeutic...i did disclose my own battle with cancer and that seemed to be the key, as they instantly trusted me at that point and opened up.....it was magical.
Psych, i lost my baby bro to bipolar disorder though my layman's diagnosis was more like schizoaffective disorder. He struggled for many years and ultimately chose to take his own life. I was terrified at doing my psych rotation but I did wel and ws able to really relate and bond with the clients....and I gotta say, overall the lot of a psych RN seems pretty cushy relative to say med-surg.......
I guess the answer is to just put forth apps and let the universe decide where I am to be.....
kool-aide, RN
594 Posts
Have you looked into electronic amplified stethoscopes? That could open up more doors for you… if you still can't narrow down what area to work in, work on a general medsurg floor and that can help you figure it out!
merlee
1,246 Posts
Do not let your hearing situation determine your future. You will be an asset to any unit you are on.
Best wishes!!!
Ah yes I did look at the electronic steths!! However I also hear that the ultrascope classic is awesome for hearing impaired folks.....and its a lot cheaper lol so I may buy myself one for Christmas...
and thanks Merlee :) I am just afraid that someday there will be a crisis and a bunch of us will be responding to a code or a rapid response and someone will give me a task or I should have heard something that I did not and the pt will suffer......scary.....
tishluvnc
79 Posts
So glad you like the profession you decided to enter, it gives me more inspiration to push on. I'm also non traditional student so by the time i'm done If I decide to continue with nursing I
will be 37. Love your excitement. I'm a cna and can agree with you I have always loved talking to my older patients. I have also cared for children with CP they were the sweetest children.
Imafloat, BSN, RN
1 Article; 1,289 Posts
Peds is where it's at!
I love kids. I worked in a NICU for years and loved it, but I decided to stretch my wings and am working general peds now.
I, like you have a knack for kids. I don't know where it came from or how it works, but kids respond well to me. These kids crack me up. I've been working in peds oncology and I think this is my favorite. Most kids have good outcomes with pediatric cancer. It's such a well funded field that it is always changing, there's always a new challenge and the OCD parts of my personality are well served with the Chemo schedule and refiguring up every single dose.
I took a little girl for a walk to the snack machine and she put her hand out for me to hold and told me I was her new BFF because I like bubble guppies and helped her clean her room. How awesome was that, I got to watch a really cute show with a really cute kid while her mom got a much needed break, and I got paid for it. I get annoyed with the politics at work, but I won't leave because of the rewards I get from the patients. That little girl made my week when she reached for my hand.
Peds is pretty rewarding, and I think part of the reason is that kids are so pure and honest, they let you know when you do a good job.
Jenni811, RN
1,032 Posts
honestly....if i were a patient in OB, and i'm 23, i would prefer a woman nurse. I'm not trying to get your hopes/dreams up but it is just a very personal time and personal experience that i would really only want a woman present. Only man i would want there is my husband.
however; just because i feel that way doesn't mean every woman would. I will admit you are right, if i HAD to pick a man i would not want a young man the same age as me. I would prefer a man who has maybe had his own kids already or is not younger or same age as me or my husband.
honestly....if i were a patient in OB, and i'm 23, i would prefer a woman nurse. I'm not trying to get your hopes/dreams up but it is just a very personal time and personal experience that i would really only want a woman present. Only man i would want there is my husband.however; just because i feel that way doesn't mean every woman would. I will admit you are right, if i HAD to pick a man i would not want a young man the same age as me. I would prefer a man who has maybe had his own kids already or is not younger or same age as me or my husband.
Totally understandable Jenni, which is why I will probably stay clear of OB.....jobs are hard enough to come by and while no one will admit to discriminating against men when hiring OB nurses, I am certain that it happens.....
ChuckeRN, BSN, RN
198 Posts
Why would you count out ER?
I wear bi-lateral HAs and I have done my clinicals and my preceptorship in the ER. Though now that I'm working (in a different type of ER), I only wear one HA to be able to answer the phone.
Hearing aids dont work for me, my doc things I had a ministroke in my inner ear and d/t ischemia/hypoxia, the nerves are damaged.....so it is uncorrectable....
nurseprnRN, BSN, RN
1 Article; 5,116 Posts
hey, why not do outpatient clinic for public health, or er, or overseas mission-type work (religious-based or not)? then you'll get to see everything.
one caveat-- be more careful of your professional boundaries. "magical" or not, it's never appropriate to share your personal medical history with a patient. you didn't mention whether you discussed your personal experience with your brother with the patient in your psych rotation, but that would be out of bounds, too. you'll be better off in the long run, and so will your patients, if you put some work into learning better communication techniques for this purpose.
hey, why not do outpatient clinic for public health, or er, or overseas mission-type work (religious-based or not)? then you'll get to see everything.one caveat-- be more careful of your professional boundaries. "magical" or not, it's never appropriate to share your personal medical history with a patient. you didn't mention whether you discussed your personal experience with your brother with the patient in your psych rotation, but that would be out of bounds, too. you'll be better off in the long run, and so will your patients, if you put some work into learning better communication techniques for this purpose.
hey there!! i can certainly appreciate what you are saying. however, in both regular nursing class and in psych, we were taught that as long as it is therapeutic for the client then limited self disclosure can be a good thing. and no i did not bring up my bro to any patients....they were all very ill and would not have gotten it anyway.....