vemiliob

I would encourage someone in my place, because it's difficult to find a job, and it's difficult to keep a job in many areas except nursing. One is not paid as would be in a private comp. doing some other task, but one always will have a job. (Not to mention how many satisfactions on human level one is expected to face being a nurse). Even though, I would probably do not do the same under a better context.

My actual job is at Sardá Hospital en Bs. As, although in the NICU, I can see mostly male nurses working in obstetrics. Most of the time without Md's, the same at delivery room. Necessity creates by it self a wider way of approaching health.

Dear coo. I don’t know what are you talking about. The world main tendency is to employ mail nurses. You know why, because we don’t get pregnant, and we are most ready to stay on a full time work than female nurses. My latest boss was a male BSN and he preferred men than women nurses because they are less conflictive. I’m working at the main motherhood of my country (Sarda Hospital) and find the same thing. My actual boss and supervisors are all women nevertheless they do not want women nurses for the same subject. Well the question is… what are you going to do if you have a staff of 20 male nurses and no female one? Would you send the patient to another hospital?

Yep! I do the same, sometimes using a plastic bag, instead of a cleaned diaper. I have many happy moments that keep me up after all. “Eye contact” is one of the most. Sometimes “skin contact”, while embracing a baby on my chest holding her/his head against my neck, making him calm down. But “eye contact” being closer than twenty centimeters for few sec’s, is a silent, magical, meaningful moment.

:trout: Hi! Life is quite like everywhere for nurses. I'm a BSN from 2001 and close to my 50. In 2004 continued with neonatology for another year. Jraul, I identify myself with your words. Of course I agree 100% with you and add my good thougts for akanarn

OK Kalico, Probably you might not be interested in a far foreigner nurse-opinion, but because I belong to a less structured health system than yours, it could let you enrich your mind with far foreigner experiences as well as yours, of course. When I was finishing my 3rd nursing (RN) I asked for permission for staying my complete practicing in the nicu. People in that NICU (Mar del Plata/Bs.As./ Argentinean Hospital, "HIEMI"), noticed my natural affinity with neonates and they make me do everything, including IV's with premature and sick newborns. Our HPC MdP Hospital was visited for a Nurse Doctor and a BSN, belonging to a Californian Nursing Board. We were close to make an exchange with a Californian University Nursing School, but finally nothing happened. In my 13th years of nursing I've met hundred of nurses of different ages and levels of preparation. Believe me! Not everything is for every one. I'd said it is hard to start with the NICU or the ICU without previous experience in lower levels. Someone else could say "just do it"! We are not the same. We are not all equal. You might like babies and not have hand mastery or ability. You might be a peace of ice genius, and you might be a normal nurse as well. To be honest and objective, I'd said "there is not a recipe". Your may find it by your self, and it will take time... I believe strongly that there is an internal conviction about our powers. If you feel that, don't hear anyone... Just do it! Continue, because jalousie and competition will always stand against you on your way. If you feel that you are not able, just run away! , because you're not handling things but babies... Experience a dead pt baby on your hands and responsibility. Experience her or his parents grieve after her/his dead. And afterwards you will understand what you are working with. There is more than IV's, more... Did you get it? It is not only the question of IV's what matters. There is much more. Got it? Have a kiss! Emilio.

I'm not doing nicu since 2005, 11th months ago, but ER instead. Anyway I've to assist neonates, not so often as before but still on it. We do not have a transilluminator. Only big Hospitals do. And I use a 24´s for IV's and a 15/5 (don't know how you call it?) with a 1 ml syringe for radial artery. My co's of the nicu use a 25's butterfly working by pair. I'm always alone! And always ask moms for help, sometimes fathers as well, but not all of them support the situation. It works much better. I can teach them while performing my job. On such situations they are much more receptive. Probably it sounds useless if you work at big Hospital, but if you belong to a small rural area it can be of some help. Kisses and hugs from Buenos Aires. Emilio:rotfl:

Well, second post on that thread. I must rectified cause I'm being paid double from my last post. "He are Heros" nobody wants to work at our ER. Nurses are afraid! Yes! I feel valued!!! :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle

It seems we'll continue making firewood of this fallen tree...by the way I've been in many operating rooms having to support the real stupidity of many guys of the team, pondering the nice teats or beautiful Venus mount of same lady pt. In health there is an old proverb that says: MD's choice their skill according with their own mental pathology. It sounds a little severe, but one arrives to the conclusion that some really DO. I DO NOT want to enter in details, because it wouldn't be ethic, but I agree with you. In Bs. As. We've a crushing statistics related male MD's infidelity and matrimonial failure. Don't know other places' statistics. This world is overwhelming populated for billions of women and men. There are inexhaustible opportunities of exchanging sexual energy with whoever one wish to... wherever!! There is not logic explanation, if one wants to have sex just go out, dance, beach, a pub, etc. It seems that an ER or an operating theater is not the best place to do that. Again... something insane must move inside some minds like a nasty worm. It's a shame but a part of human reality. We can't do nothing about it except discussing the subject. After all we must not loose objectivity... we all do live in a crazy world, don't we? At last, one must do ones duty without caring about other's behaviour. I'm sorry if I sound sometimes a beat temperamental. The oldest of you know that ours is not an easy profession. We do not have a Walt Whitman or a Florence Nightingale. Even more our first University's Nursing Director was an American Navy Nurse of the UNR, where I belong to. Not many Argentinean nurses know that but many did read Whitman at least once. My heart is with all of you and always will be. Emilio from Buenos Aires.

One of the things that surprise me about the world of nursing is how fast things are changing. This might be my third or fourth post about this thread from the very beginning. Probably still narrow minded, not understanding why we continue with this discussion, but sensitive enough to the fact that befalls daily at our ER. After two years of participating in deliveries, doing Neo, Rooming in, obstetrics and ER, I arrived to a dead point with my chief and after beginning a formal relationship with a divorced-mom of three daughters-med of my ER, I asked to be transferred to it permanently. Probably it's hard for you to get an idea about a small maternity-hospital of one of the small richest cities of my country. I'm a BSN, twice RN, and two years of Paramedic. After 10 PM we do not have stretcher bearers, and I or my replacement, have to assist one orthopedic surgeon, one neo/ped, one clinical and sometimes one plastic surgeon... and everything else. Sometimes I have to start CPR alone. Two weeks ago I had to receive a 22 weeks old fetus, from an 18 years old mom, second pregnancy, because my surgeon leaved me alone, and the midwife was occupied with a potential caesarean. Besides, the obstetric didn't want to come down because gynecologists never help during emergencies and he pretended the 'gyneco' taking care of the situation. Of course the baby died. I have to ask the pt's mother to help me to take her pants out and I deed the delivery on a small stretcher alone, contained that girl as much as I could. I wrapped the baby with a green compress and brought it to the obstetric, second floor, in my hands with my best gaze of hate. Afterwards I talked with my supervisor and she encouraged me to start a legal issue, demanding a sanction for all of them. Of course I didn't do anything except enduring my own pain for few days. That night we've only two women, the midwife and the supervisor, the rest of us, nurses and meds were all men. Do you understand that? My former co was accused of abusing from a pt at the ER during an EKG performance, and obliged to quit. It happens everywhere, not only in USA. One has to do what one has to do... which is exactly what one has to do... because one must...

Shall I whish a happy new year to every one? I just love you co-friends wherever you work, LA or Pekin. I work in a private maternity and for my surprise after asking for job in our main Public National Maternity (Sarda Hospital of Buenos Aires) I new that at the delivery room work only male nurses. Why? Is it necessary to answer? As my boss said. “Ladies create so much trouble. I prefer male nurses”. (Said my male boss, but fore my surprise the nurse coordinator or the Sarda Hospital is an old Lady that thinks exactly the same…) Maleness? ….. as I posted before, one has to be very sick to let his libido express after treating a pregnant pt or whatever sick woman! I wonder why this thread is lasting so much? Of course there exist a male-sexual-abuse. Wherever in this piece of S……..F……. world. But, I don’t have statistics about that in our profession. Do you? Please, this world is bleeding… and we are meant to stop it, or at least to help it. Male or female. Vemiliob from Bs. As.

Hi! onconurseRT, don't be sad! I had a co, wife of a military Argentinean army man, born on same date as UKnurse, who I think it is also a military's wife in London. What are you asking for? Just to be a nurse means a lot enough. Hard to bear. It does not matter what your husband does. What matters is what you do. If you do it well you'll valuated where ever you are. Don't self pity, because you're not the only one. Your heart makes the difference. Do you like the word "Karma"? I don't understand really what it means, I prefer the expression "to do our duty"... Why? "Because you must..." God bless you! Vemliob

What can I say guys? Should I lie? I'm not paid according to my skill, but every single one around me recognizes my proficiency. My boss called me from home, asking me "please not to leave", after my wife (a Med of my ER) quitted because she found a better paid job. Pts seek me, Meds seek me. My partners come to ER asking me for help or advice. A very Zen point of view related to martial arts is: "at the beginning a punch is a punch and a kick is just a kick". (Refer to ignorance). On second step "a punch becomes a thing and a kick must be according to such form". (Refer to technicality). At the end of the way a punch becomes a punch and a kick just a kick. (Refer to mastery). So is the way of Nursing... at the end we're just... Nurses, human beings, helpers, supporters... Dust on the wind... Vemiliob from Bs.As.

I believe this must come too late. Provably not important by itself, but necessary to hold on my connection to allnurses.com, so I give you this. I've been working in two huge hospitals, three clinics, and an ambulance system as paramedic as well. I heard ghost-stories everywhere. Anyway I guess the most relevant are the latest ones. We have a ghost on our third flour called "the blond of the third" she used to dress herself as a nurse and perform nursing duties. The most relevant aspect of "the blond" is that no nurse or doctor has ever seen her but our patients. Generally, they use to say something like: "The blond nurse has told me..." or "few minutes ago a blond nurse gave me my medication". Some related that she has no legs, I mean; she floats on the air and so on. I don't know what you would think about it. Anyone of us did pay much attention to it. No one got in panic. Just heard the repeated stories from our patients one and another time without adding much anxiety. These things might happen, specially where people die every day. It means nothing anyway. Just a tale to tell. Nothing will change our reality, our daily affairs. Our miseries. We joke about it but don't pay to that much credit. We're nurses, busy and tired to give such things much energy.

This subject is getting far away than one could expect. Right now, I don't think Nurses are given such a bad Rap. We're getting better status. Probably we need more recognition yet. However, Doctors are suffering a lack of recognition in relation to past times. This phenomenon creates a certain balance on the public's point of view. Nevertheless, we cannot compare ourselves with Medics. Different careers, different rolls, different functions, and shorter time training. We are not medics, as though we are not better than medics....we are Nurses.... just Nurses.... :Melody: :Melody: