nurskelli

Hi KatieD I have enjoyed reading the stream that your original question began. It is almost 3AM and I got off of my 3-11PM shift at 2AM, I am usually too wound up to go to bed right away. I work with Medicare pts. I love my job. I never dreamed that I would work with this population, but I am quite into it. The baby boomers parents are aging and together we face the situation of our aging parents, oh the pathos of it all. as I read the posts so many things came to mind. First of all, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started nursing school. It was some childhood dream. When I was two years into college I decided that I didn't want to be a "professional" but rather a full time mom, and bagged the whole thing. I enjoyed "mothering" to the fullest, even homeschooled for 5 years. it was great. I had the kind of teens that made you wish you had more (only had 3). I was always a little wistful about nursing, then I realized that at 44 I could go back to school and be an RN in 3 years, now I've been a nurse for 3 years. I wouldn't have done it any differently, those wonderful years with my kids were the best, and they went by so fast. And now I am a nurse, but I really had no idea what a nurse was. I only knew I wanted to help people, and this was the "helping" job I was attracted to. The posts you have read tell the whole story so well. It is frustrating. It is hard. There is politics. And there is never enough money and staff to do the quality job that "State" requires you to do. But you keep on because if you don't who will meet the need? Who will give the meds, who will hold the hand, change the IV, catheter, dressing. Who will be there for the family when the end is near. Who will say, "hearing is the last to go, tell them what they need to hear, and that you love them." Somedays I feel like a failure, somedays I feel like a nurse. One last thing, this applies to the work we all do as teacher or nurse. When I went into nursing I was most frightened by the responsibility I would carry. I have become facinated with the word "courage". It takes so much courage to make a society. To fly planes, design bridges, protect society from danger, to teach the children, and to be there to give the meds, to assess the patient, to call the doctor when needed. In this society we all play a part, but some of us lay our lives down. We cope with our fears and frustrations and serve. And we are amazing. Gosh I love being me, I am so glad I do what I do and that I have chosen to give what God gave me to others. Hey Katie, seize the day, and give what you have to things that last, like your little guy. Please be the most "there" mom you can be.

I love my job. I work in Medicare. I am surrounded with the reminders that we are not here forever. The baby-boomers are aging, and together we are dealing with the pain of our parents having strokes, debilitating illness, etc. I see the stress in the eyes of the adult children. I see them there night after night, the caregiver sibling, and those who have flown in from across the country. I know their pain personally...we are all in this together. I see the depression as my patients' autonomy is stripped from them by the onset of dementia, or the loss of mobility, often both. I see them crying, I see the fear and I see their fortitude. We are all in this together...the families, the patients, the nurses...sometimes we even get to share the burden with the doctors. It is what living is about, it is hard. But I love my job. My mother died suddenly two months ago, strong and healthy one moment, then she was gone. I was spared the agony of the long goodbye, and the blessing of the long goodbye. I am so glad God put me in this place. A place where only the suffering people see me. A place where only He sees me. He said "in so much as you have done it unto these my brethern you have done it unto me>" When I went into nursing, i really didn't know why. I think it was something I was made to do. I just wanted to help people in a signifigant way. I love my job