Three things...

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In my ideal world, patients would be devoid of all poop, mucus, and vomit.

But realistically, we know patients come with an assortment of wonderful fluids and delightful smells. Some worse than others. Although I love what I do, there are some things I could live without.

Just for fun...

If there were 3 things in nursing that you could magically never have to do again what would they be?

What three things would you want to do all of the time?

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Specializes in Telemetry, CCU.

Would be happy not to:

1. Clean poop of any kind

2. Give morphine or dilaudid to a drug-seeker every hour around the clock

3. CHART!!!

Would love to:

1. Sit down and just listen to my patient's life story all night

2. Give excellent care each and every shift (sadly, not always possible)

3. Provide all the things (supplies, blankets, etc.) they need; seems like we're always short handed these days

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Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.

Never again...

talk to family members

talk to family members

talk to family members

what would i like to do all the time?

take care of unconscious patients that have no family members

thats all i need, lol

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Specializes in Family Practice/Primary Care.

Female physicians.

Druggies.

Psychos.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Diabetes, Substance abuse, Documentation up the yin yang.

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Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.

ooh wait, i forgot one....

NP that think they are Her Highness and are too good to pick up a chart by herself.

what do i do if i come up with more than 3 things?? do i have to pick?

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma.

The almighty patient satisfaction campaign and Press Gainey surveys...

Higher ups that treat staff members differently according to who the "pets" are...

Pts coming in that haven't bathed in weeks and need foleys....

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Specializes in L&D, PACU.

1. Do a cervical dilation exam on an obese woman with a posterior cervix who hasn't bathed for nine months :bugeyes:

2. Call a doc for an order when I KNOW I'm going to get yelled at before he/she finally knuckles down and gives the order we both know he/she should have written before he/she left the facility.

3. depends on what day it is...some days some things seem worse than others.

Good things...

1. do what I get to do now....give one on one patient care.

2. Take the time to listen to the patient's emotional concerns as well as their physical ones (again, something I get to do now)

3. Ask the patient how their pain is and hear..."It's gone!"

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Never again:

1. Put a fat man on and off a CT table.

2. Run down to a stat head CT at 6:35 because the resident blew me off when I said the patient had mental status change and needed a head CT at 2am.

3. Keep another vegetable alive to go die in a nursing home.

I'd always like to:

1. Figure out a way to let a resident's arrogant stupidity blow up in his face without it hurting the patient.

2. See more families choose organ donation.

3. See everyone who should go to hospice get there, instead of being tortured because the family wants everything done.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Never want to do again:

deal w/ postpartum hemorrhage

catch a dead baby delivered in the bed

withdraw a baby from methadone

Could do all day:

Hold a snuggly baby

Help a motivated new mom breastfeed

Watch daddies change diapers. :)

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.
Never again:

1. Put a fat man on and off a CT table.

2. Run down to a stat head CT at 6:35 because the resident blew me off when I said the patient had mental status change and needed a head CT at 2am.

3. Keep another vegetable alive to go die in a nursing home.

I'd always like to:

1. Figure out a way to let a resident's arrogant stupidity blow up in his face without it hurting the patient.

2. See more families choose organ donation.

3. See everyone who should go to hospice get there, instead of being tortured because the family wants everything done.

I agree with you 110%.

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Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

Never again...

1. Deal with snot

2. Have to hear from clueless nursing management

3. Charting & paperwork up the yinyang

Which would leave me more time to...

1. Sit & converse with my patients and their families

2. Do a very thorough job of HS care, including a back & foot rub

3. Thoroughly educate (and empower!) my patients on their conditions & treatment

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