ER_NRS

Well I am not sure why I chose this path. I have always loved helping people, and had jobs that entailed it in one way or another. I was 30 yrs. old with 3 kids when I chose to go to school. I believe everything happens for a reason, and think I now know why. I was married for 18yrs. to a man who the last 5yrs was an alcoholic. I wanted to find a career to support my kids and I. I graduated in June 06 @ 34 years old (I had to work full time and school full time). I left my husband in Sept 06 I just could not get him to give up the booze. I was able to support us and feel good again. I truly loved him, just could not handle his ways. I had not had the courage to file for divorce yet, early this year he was killed in a motorcycle accident. Very tragic time in our lives. Fast forward to today. I have ended up dating a paramedic that I have known for about a year. We have been seeing each other for a couple of months, and I never thought I would feel this way again. So everything happens for a reason, why fight destiny. I went with what my gut told me to do. Look at me now! I work in an ER, at a great hospital, 3 great kids, and an amazing man in my life. Sorry I think I went a little off topic. Please forgive me...

I have 7 tattoo's all covered by my scrubs, the one on my chest sometimes shows. I work in the ER, and we have a nurse (female) who has a medium size tat on her forearm, which she was hired with 8 years ago. There are also others that have parts of them visible, no big deal. I work for the 2nd best employer in Ohio - Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC)...I love it here. They are great. Bottom line do what feels right to you.

I work in a large ER and we have many many male nurses. There are all great nurses and many are more compasionate than some of the other "seasoned" female nurses that we have. Once in a great while we will have a pt. that refuses care by one of the male nurses but that is rare.

I think we need to be realistic here. People with sick hearts don't just have a sick heart. Many of them have sick hearts as a secondary problem. Often poeple have more serious illness and their heart problem is a result of something else. I work in the ER and just yesterday a guy came in for an infected fistula (dyalisis), very swollen hands, legs and feet (CHF) and he was recently diagnoses with Hepatitis. This just shows that you just never know, you can't tell from outward appearances who has what and you are exposed everyday unknowing. I handle every pt. as if they may have something when it comes to body fluids. You must be diligent and cautious. Utilize your universal precautions. We have a Doc that is a germ phob and he won't even go into a pt. room without gloves, this is a little extreme I think and I believe that it makes pts. uncomfortable. If your more worried about yourself and not the care of the pt. then you are not going to have the pt. best interest at heart. Nursing is all about the pt. and their needs.