t.houck

If you can stand it, try looking at jobs in slightly smaller cities in Washington. Work for a year or two, get some experience then move back from Seattle. I work in the tri-cities and make $29/hr with my BSN. And the cost of living is much cheaper here than in Seattle and the pay is comparable.

Thank you for your advice! This patient really has gotten under my skin and the whole situation has been bothering me for days. I'm determined to learn something from this situation because I certainly don't enjoy feeling like this.

I recently (yesterday) had a patient raise his voice and curse at me multiple times because he was unhappy with his food. He was on a cardiac and renal diet. He was VERY upset because he read our menu wrong and though he had ordered a fish sandwich, which ended up being a small portion of battered and fried fish. He wife claimed after everything they had been through he deserved a hot meal. Because the hospital apparently couldn't provide that, she was going to have to drive to McDonald's and get him a fish sandwich. I did the best I could to put out the fire but to no avail, I walked out of the room feeling insulted, deflated, hurt and angry. Any suggestions on how to deal with an irate and upset patient over food? Any suggestions/words of wisdom on how not to let patients like this get under your skin?

Thank you guys so much for the insight! I just got home from my shift and I was fine. Granted, I didn't watch any procedures but I made it through the day without fainting. Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot to me.

So, I volunteer in a local hospital's ER (the only level 1 trauma center for 4 northwestern states) and we get some pretty intense stuff through our doors. At first I was nervous about being in the ER, but after a couple shifts I really felt like I have found my place in the health care field. I looked forward to my shift every week and it was always the best part of my week. Long story short, I was watching a resident inject a scalp wound with Lidocaine to prep it for stapling, and I passed out. it hit me so fast I didn't have time to react, leave the room, or say something. I am having a really hard time getting past this experience, because now I am worried I don't have the stomach to be an ER nurse. I was so sure I found my spot in health care, and now I don't know what is right anymore. I feel like my life has been turned upside down. Everyone I know who is in the health care field is telling me its happened to them, and sometimes they still get sick when a really bad trauma comes their way. These words of wisdom have helped, but its still not enough. Do any of you ER nurses have any advice on how to move on and get my head back in the game? Tell it to me straight up, no point in sugar coating it. Thanks!