RNShotslinger

I graduated in 1980. Still had the white's and the cap. Had to kneel down and make sure the skirt touched the floor or it was too short. I still remember when we first go to wear uniform slacks. Back then, we did everything on the floor. Sigmoids? no problem. Just get the tray. Couldn't wear gloves, it implied the patient and their "natural functions" were dirty. Most IV's were gravity drips, It was like heaven if you could get a pump... oh and you could NEVER run blood in a pump. Chest tubes were set up with air tight bottles, which we had to set up for vacuum. Rounding was a MUST with doctor's or the orders didn't get written. T, C and DB and PD and P were on almost every patient. 3 H (high, hot and a helluva lot) enemas was and accepted and commonplace order using Castille soap. No one could touch a newborn without first gowning and scrubbing... even mom! Geri chairs lined the hallway and poseys vests were expected. Mist tents were set up by nurses and used for Pedes and geri patients. We washed all our own instruments, double wrapped them and put them in the autoclave for reuse. All patients got a bath daily and a backrub nightly ALOS was 7-10 days A day med nurse calculated and passed all meds. We also did team nursing with an RN, LPN and NA between 50 patients on nights. On days, you sometimes got an extra RN or LPN and the med nurse. Organic Brain syndrome was a common diagnosis and Barium enemas were a common cure?!?! Ashtrays were to be cleaned after each physician use and redistributed on the documentation table. Nurses could only smoke when MD's weren't present. A nurse always stood when the MD's entered the room. Wow, the good old days!