suseliz

As a new grad, I had the opportunity to work labor and delivery my first job. I really wanted to, but decided I wanted other experience first. (I know, not post partum as was specified in the letter.) No one would ever hire me for labor and delivery down the road because I did not have labor and delivery/post partum experience. Twenty years into my nursing career I was on to grad school to become an NP. I was working the float pool in my last job in the hospital and floated to post partum for a weekend. They begged me to transfer to their department. Moral of the story—go for what you want!

I have been in nursing 41 years. Started out with a BSN, got my Master's 20 years ago. How did I last? You can say a lot about nursing, but it is always changing, if you are doing it right you are always learning something, if you ever reach the point you've seen everything you discover you haven't, and it is never, ever boring.

I had a confused patient in ICU back in the late 70's. I noticed a pair of glasses on her bedside table and put them on this little old lady. They were huge! I came on the next day and she still had them on. Her doctor came by later in the shift and asked, "Have you seen my glasses?" Then it dawned on me why her glasses case said "Dr. Reed" on it.

Means, modes, and EOC's. Whatever the heck those were.

"I wanna be a work from home nurse when I grow up. Probably hugely stressful in its own right, but I prefer to be stressed in my Jammie's." I work from home, and in my jammies if I want to. It can be less stress as complicated patients are to be referred, but we are to keep the ones that are appropriate. However patient satisfaction and getting our patients taken care of quickly is key. If you want less stress, don't be a nurse.

After 20 years practicing as a Family nurse practitioner and doing many physicals, I would vouch for general ignorance of female genitalia by women. Many women feel that area is "gross". I get comments as I sit down to do a pap, "How can you stand to do that?" Women don't want to touch themselves down there to use a lady partsl cream, barrier methods of contraception, a Nuva ring, or Estring. Use a mirror to look at themselves? Are you kidding? Women are shocked and upset to know they have a yeast infection or BV. They have no clue about the risk of STD's even though they claim to have had sex Ed. There are many women who are very sophisticated and many who are not.

Once I didn't show for a night shift. They changed my schedule from what it had been for years. The night supervisor called, I got out of bed, got dressed, and went in to work my shift. Nothing else was ever said.

I hate the pain scale. I have asked many a patient how they would rate their pain reminding them a 10 is how they would feel if they were run over by a truck. Then the lady who was chatting on her cell phone, perfectly made up and hair done, looked me in the eye and said, "10!". When I was in the ER a year ago with diverticulitis, the ER doctor asked me to rate my pain. Having a high pain tolerance, I said "4". Then she looked at my chart, saw that I was tachycardic, my BP was 190/110, and I had a fever. She sent the nurse in with IV dilaudid. When I got home I crawled into bed and realized I must have been having more pain that I thought because of the amount of pain relief I got. My husband was hospitalized several months ago. He was dying of cancer. The nurses asked him about pain frequently and gave him medications for complaints I never heard before. When he was discharged home to hospice he was so goofy I was afraid for his safety. I adjusted his pain meds down and gave them regularly. He was as comfortable as I could get him and I got my husband back for a few days before he died.

Yes. It is one of the big regrets of my life. I have two sons who are physicians (both of whom went to med school on military scholarships so don't have huge debt). The only reason I didn't is because I didn't think I could.

I'm dating myself and it wasn't a doctor show but I was incredibly impressed to watch Edith Bunker (All in the Family) give CPR exactly right.

18. I graduated with my BSN at 22.

I hardly remember the staff ratio that day, I'm remembering only myself, perhaps an other person. We had maybe 16-18 patients and two staff on a post neurosurgery floor. They look easy in the Kardex (remember those?). But are are unsteady on their feet, can't remember, terrible proprioception, etc. I tried to take care of my patients. I put an obese lady on the bedpan and when she rolled on her back, my arms up to my armpits were stuck, I mean STUCK under her. She was too sick to help me or even understand I was in trouble. I had to yell for help, finally the p.m. Nurse who came early, a God bless her, helped me.

Absolutely. I have for 40 years.

The reality is that working nights takes a physiological toll on your body. I shudder to think of all the near misses I experienced driving home from working nights, even after sleeping the day before.

My son didn't sleep before his shift because of a "mandatory" meeting in the middle of the day when he worked in a group home. He fell asleep driving home and caused a 3 car pile-up. When he was a resident he would pull over and sleep. I've had all sorts of close calls driving home after working nights. You have to be safe for your shift AND safe getting home again.