remembering why we do what we do

So the other day, I totally got the shaft and got a horrible assignment with a patient completely crashing and a new admit coming at the same time. I was grumpy and annoyed but pushed through.

I spent that whole shift fighting for my patient's life, fixing his blood pressure, getting him intubated before he coded, working on urine output, and trying to fix a ST >150 bpm. During it all, I was so busy and probably a little melancholy, but when I got off work I couldnt stop smiling (no matter how tired I was) because I realized that we saved a life today and I loved every minute of it.

I couldnt have done it without the doctors who helped me troubleshoot all night and listened to my ideas and suggestions. I couldnt have done it without the respiratory therapists who advocated for the patient and whose years of experience I can trust. And most importantly, I couldnt have done it without those other nurses who pitched in to help me with my other patient and mix drips and prepare for intubation. Instead of eating their young, or being judgmental, they helped me prioritize and make decisions without criticism.

I just wanted to share my story, because even as a new nurse, often times I get bogged down by all the tasks without results, family heartbreak, or getting a crappy assignment. Sometimes, I forget how cool it is that our job is so big. It's really cool to be able to make an impact like that and see such fast results. It's not like a desk job, that's for sure. Im going to try to remember this day when I feel jaded, annoyed by an assignment, or ineffectual by watching a long term ICU resident fade away.