callmekipling

I picked it at random... or so it felt. I was in the process of dropping out of a Music Education program, and one of my frat brothers (yeah so dont ask why I dropped out, ahem) mentioned he made good money as a CNA. And then I became an EMT, and then a firefighter, and have worked in LTC, hospitals and home care, and am now in my third year of school, and may well end up as a PHRN. So you have your pic in my story according to your beliefs. Either I ended up liking what was a last-ditch pick, or call it the hand of God :)

You will be a gofer. I sure am. You will help lift heavy people. To quote eddie vedder.. it's evolution, baby! Whether you are "just" a gofer or "just" a lifter depends, quite frankly, on your willingness to stand up for yourself.

Hey, some of us fill out a large okay There is one ICU doc where I work who has really huge hands, like ironworker big. He has to go to supply and draw out his own XL gloves. Poor guy, it's a running gag with him, and it seems to come up whenever pts ask about him!

I like to play the straight man. "Good to meet you, sorry it's here" is my favorite opener. As a tech - "They don't let me play with anything fun, but if you need a soda or something I'm well qualified to get it." LOL's come in with bruising/ raccoon eyes - "You're the tough old bird came in from that barfight huh?" If they say "at least I'm alive," (and I stole this from a little old lady).. "they say the devil takes care of his own" Worse yet, if they're clever too, it's usually worth a smile to admit that I've spent the day's allotment of one-liners!

I always get a kick out of people asking me for health advice. "My ears and my nose have been hurting so bad" "yeah, you should see an ear, nose and throat doctor" "but how do I know if its bad enough?" "is it bad enough to call a doctor for?" (in compliance with the thread topic, that was an ex asking me.) Sure you could hon, you just gotta push a little harder

Forgive me if this is too brief a treatment of a very involved question, but - I think it depends on what your goals are as a nurse, your philosophy and the field in which you practice. Realize you are working in an imperfect medium, with imperfect clientele and an imperfect process. Not to be a downer, and I have not worked everywhere or know everything by any means, but I feel this job is less about success outright and more about compromise - with patients, the economy, human mortality. Often, for just a little more time. I say, care as best you can. As far as that mother/father bit, I'm not so hot for it. Too much caring *will* make you crazy.

I have had this happen to me. I prefer to say, and you may quote me on this:smokin: "The details are technical and boring to someone uninvolved in the field.. Needless to say it's more involved than you may think." And then maybe wow them with a discussion of clotting factors, electrolytes, fluid balance, and the massive monolithic migraine that is med administration. Though lately I've been thinking (channeling betty neuman here) that doctors focus on treating an ailment, where nurses promote wellness in general. We double check what the doctors do, while keeping an eye on everything else. Is that legit, ya think?

artless, but a compliment. maybe Yogi Bera is still floating around whispering in people's ears. Uncondensed, it would read, "I think it's a respectable profession though I bet you get laughed at by other people." Just grin, and don't make excuses.

Did you know your managers are *required* to find room for improvement in your eval? True story. If that's all s/he's got to say about you in the negative, I'd say you're pretty awesome. I mean, that's culture today. If you can do it well, maybe you can do it well a little faster? I got an eval once, it said I'm great at life and all, but I could learn to be more of a self-starter. When i asked my boss to elaborate, she shrugged and said "You're doing everything, the only thing I could think was to have you do everything sooner." (let it also be known I really, really like my boss :wink2:)

Aahahahaha! happened to me once. Of course I'm a tech, I don't talk much to attendings (I know the house docs, but who's gonna drop THEIR names?) So a little old lady came in insisting she knew such-and-such CEO of our company... I could honestly say - "Do you? Because I sure don't. If he stops by, ring your call bell!"

From "The Modern Gentleman" by Mollod and Tesauro - a really great read, by the way, one that I cannot recommend enough. The passage begins on page 70.

I think domestic violence falls generally under elder abuse for most LTC settings. I have to say, the only domestic abuse I've ever witnessed was verbal and addressed towards a deaf demented woman. I don't even know if that counts.

classically it's referred to as a "great big s-- eating grin" you may find yourself having this reaction I'm one among maybe five or six guys in a class of about a hundred. We're all being broken up for asmt lab. My advice to the bros. here would be, get used to it, learn to thrive in it. Unless you're going to the only men ward at mantown hospital (mansville, manitoba, in the fine northern country of manada?) you're gonna be dealing with a lot of estrogen until about the day you retire. Think of it this way- maybe it's jealousy? Take it as inspiration to be unassailable - that is to say, know what you're talking about when you open your mouth. Harder to get shot down when you're right.

pat if you're taking a pretty nurse type there, getting emotional may be just the thing.. tell her about your deep and abiding inner pain they eat that up! i'm kidding, but hopefully dealing with people at their most vulnerable all the time she won't be the kind to go for John Wayne!

YEA SON I'm a heavy hitter myself, 6 ft 0 in shoes, 230lb. Bench 315, squat 425 deadlift 480. Do I wish I didn't have a pooched out gut? sure, but all the crunches in the world won't save me :chuckle besides, it's not supposed to be about how you look so much as how you help slide up morbidly obese people haha