Much as I agree with my colleagues complaints, humorous and not so...and I do agree with almost all of them (My top ten pet peeve list has been expanded to at least 20)..I feel like it is time to say what I like about my job, and see what anyone else might add.
It is almost never boring.
I work with some really great people.
I get to do health education for some people who have no other contact with a provider on any level.
I work with some truly terrific docs who rely on me to use my experience and critical thinking skills, and treat me like a colleague.
I meet people of such diverse backgrounds, be it ethnic, vocational, religious, or otherwise, who I would never meet in any other circumstances.
I get to help people who have no other place to turn to.
I get to give Adenocard...whoa..(hey it really is as close as we can get to manipulating that heart without opening it up).
I still learn something every day (After 40 years, a great thing to say)
I know there are lots more things to add to this list--no one would ever accuse ER staff of being sappy, but all those altruistic reasons we went into nursing are there.
I am BAD BAD BAD,, but I always enjoyed winning the "Guess the BAL" pool money for the resident ETOH-er sleeping it off. That was a looong time ago. I don't think anyone does that anymore.
We still do that in our ER. We gotta break up the night somehow:D
I am BAD BAD BAD,, but I always enjoyed winning the "Guess the BAL" pool money for the resident ETOH-er sleeping it off. That was a looong time ago. I don't think anyone does that anymore.
Oh yes we do...Although now the ante is "upped" and you have to put your bid on what's in the tox screen!!!!
"I'll see your BAL of 210 and raise you benzo's and opiates":coollook:
This is a great thread! Thanks for reminding us that in the midst of the negativity - there's a reason we keep coming back and clocking in!
I love it because no matter how long you've worked there, some nut can always trump whatever craziness you saw the day before. There's no end to man's ingenuity.
Speaking of Narcan----family member brings in a "confused" lady with low bp who won't cooperate or respond; happens to be methadone pt....doc says "0.4 of Narcan." I enter the room as another nurse is try to get pt to comply with oral temp. "No, don't bite it! Put it under your tongue.." etc, etc. As soon as I wipe the alcohol on the saline lock, pt turns to me completely oriented and demands in a clear voice to know what med I am giving her (in front of doc and everyone.) Sorry, I says, but your level of confusion is such that we have to lower your sedation some to increase your bp and your level of consciousness. She was not a happy camper. But she cooperated for the rest of her visit, and made sure we did not have a reason to give more Narcan!!
In reality, I am glad we did not give more. It is not a pretty sight to take the narcs away completely. To stay on topic, I like a doctor who cares enough to calculate the teensy dose of Narcan that will be just enough to do the job without throwing the pt into a screaming fit! (One particular doc I am thinking of gave as little as 0.01mg to an adult. Just enough to get her to wake and talk, but not enough to take away all her chronic pain meds.)
I am BAD BAD BAD,, but I always enjoyed winning the "Guess the BAL" pool money for the resident ETOH-er sleeping it off. That was a looong time ago. I don't think anyone does that anymore.
HAHAHA!!! We did the exact same thing where I worked, and that was recently (2007).
I remember a patient brought in by ambulance, unresponsive, low bp, etc... As I undressed her to put her on the cardiac monitor, I began to notice Duragesic patches, one after the other. She had gotten her prescription filled of 10 patches three days earlier. My goodness, I pulled off all ten patches and told the physician. He wasn't as kind as your doctor, as this women deliberately misused her pain medication. He gave her a full dose of Narcan. I kid you not, almost instantly she sat bolt upright on the strecther, screamed "NOOOOO!" and took a swing at me. Thank goodness the punch whizzed by me. Once she was asked to calm down, she did. The doc asked her why she had put all those Duragesic patches on herself, she replied "Well, it's the weekend A-hole!"
Guess she wanted to "party" in her own way. Very Sad.
, but I always enjoyed winning the "Guess the BAL" pool money for the resident ETOH-er sleeping it off. That was a looong time ago. I don't think anyone does that anymore.
P_RN, ADN, RN
6,011 Posts
Hey John20 don't worry I've been a nurse over 30y and didn't recognise BAL.
(To me first thing came to mind was British Anti Lewisite in Oil (BAL) used for heavy metal poisoning......do they still use that?)