consideringnursing

Thank you all! I think from reading this board, hearing about not being able to run to the bathroom or eat, I had morphed the issue into a bigger problem in my head. I guess I pictured routinely working 8 hours or so without being able to run to pee even once, and not being able even grab some food:o . I understand the shift from hell could happen once in a while making this happen, I was just worried it would be like this every day and I wouldn't cut it. I have this nightmare scenerio, student nurse picture in my head of working on a floor at a frantic pace every day and not being able to eat or go to the bathroom for 8-12 hours, me zapping out mentally, then finally fainting and being dismissed from nursing school. Then I start crying in my dream that I can't be a nurse and I saved for years to go to school, what will I do about the student loans I racked up, etc, etc. Blah blah blah. Normally I am a positive person. I think I just got myself worked up with worry that only people with industrial strength bladders and oblivious blood sugars could survive working in nursing. Ok, thanks to you all. I'm just going to take care of myself and watch out for hospitals that don't respect a nurse getting basic human needs met. At the same time, I don't think what I need is out of line with what we all need, except that I can pass out routinely if not met!:rotfl: . So I won't tell anyone about my concerns, I'll just make sure I get what I need. Thank you all!

Thank you all for the replies! About running to the bathroom quickly to pee? Can an RN just tell another RN, I need one minute to run to the bathroom, or must they give report and sign the patients out to the other RN in writing for literally a one minute bathroom run? How much of the overwork of nursing is due to unavoidable working conditions, and how much is due to co-dependent nurses who let themselves be taken advantage of? Of course every department/hospital is different I know, but still I wonder about this.

Hi there everyone. For several years I have wanted to become an RN. Now, after a few years I have finally found a way financially to go back to school. Now that I'm on the edge of really doing this, I have a few concerns. I am a 31 year old female. I have the opposite blood pressure problem of most people, I have low blood pressure. Most times I am 90/60. That said, if I don't drink ALOT of water I get dizzy and I am a fainter. Thing is if I take care of myself, I am just fine, perfectly healthy. If I can't drink alot of water (necessitating bathroom trips every 2 hours) I get weak, dizzy, etc. I read this board all the time and I read about not getting to drink fluids, inability to run to the bathroom, and lack of meals during shifts. That's my other issue, eating. I have fussy blood sugar and if I don't eat at least every five hours I can faint from that too. Example, I've had a finger stick of blood sugar at 38 when I couldn't eat and then got weak. Even if I don't faint, if I go too long without eating I fade out mentally and I would be dangerous to patients. Here's my frustration. If I am able to drink water which would require a bathroom stop about every two hours, and eat at least every five hours I can work just as hard as anyone else and be just great. If not...I can zap out. Literally. So when I read on the board that RNs can't go to the bathroom, I know it is because they are so busy. Do RN's have to give report and sign out their patients in writing to another RN just to zip into the bathroom for a few seconds? Or can an RN just say to a co-worker RN, I need one minute, to go to the bathroom please watch my patients? Thing is, the things I need to function are what we all need to function at a basic healthy level. I just don't know how much of a problem these concerns of mine are regarding blood pressure/blood sugar and working in nursing. Any info and advice is appreciated. p.s. I am interested in Med/Surg nursing, and possibly psych.