Three things...

southernbeegirl, BSN, RN · Nov 21, 2008

ha! i'm giving all of you your wishes! i'm sending you all my talking patients WITH their family members, lol

BEDPAN76 · Nov 21, 2008

1. care plans 2. DON's. 3. on call

robinbird · Nov 21, 2008

Never again:

1. Guiac a C-Diff stool...

2. Clean under porifice folds that haven't been cleaned in weeks...

3. Over-bearing, well meaning family members who do more harm than good. :banghead:

Like to do:

1. Take away someone's pain...

2. Save a life...

3. Recognize when a patient is about to code and prevent it before it happens...

nursej22, MSN, RN · Nov 21, 2008

I could do without:

1. Open chest codes and the look on the family's face.

2. Family members who assault staff.

3. Trying to track down missing orders on ED admits.

What I could do every day:

Get that difficult IV every time!

Complete a patient assessment without my phone ringing.

Talk to a ninety-year old.

Jaybird310 · Nov 21, 2008

Do Without

1) A multiple trauma 20 mins before my shift is over

2) Chart/paperwork

3) Tie between dealing with overbearing demanding family/patients who expect you to be at beckon call or dealing with drug seekers

Anytime

1) Take a BP

2) have a witty patient

3) punch out feeling like I've made a difference that day

Melinurse · Nov 21, 2008

Could do without:

1) C-Diff or GI bleeds

2) FAMILY MEMBERS!!!!!! :banghead:

3) Upper management that have not worked the floor in X amount of years

4) Patients who use the call light every 15 minutes

5) Family members who use the call light every 15 minutes and still hunt you down in other patients rooms!!!

6) Colostomies that were not put on right.

7) Cleaning under skin folds that have not been washed in God knows how long.

tinderbox · Nov 21, 2008

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?

I would love to NEVER have to:

1. Clean up incontinent people, especially the poopy ones. I will NEVER get used to the sight and smell of poop-- ICK. I can barely even stand my own. It's weird, but it seems like the longer I am in nursing, the MORE sensitive and grossed out I get by poop.

2. Do anything that causes excruciating pain to a patient.

3. Deal with anxious and/or demanding family members.

I enjoy:

1. Suctioning patients and getting all that gunk out of their lungs. I know it sounds weird, but it feels so satisfying when I hear the difference in the patient's breathing!

2. Having a patient who makes me genuinely laugh.

3. A smoothly running shift (no codes, ample working equipment, no multiple bed changes, pain-free patients) while working with my favorite co-workers. Cannot remember when the last time I've had a shift like that, if ever!

queenjean · Nov 21, 2008

I would like to never again:

1. Empty a colostomy bag

2. Clean folds that haven't seen any type of cleaning (or the light of day) in years (decades?).

3. Mention the word "hospice" and find that I am the first person to have brought it up to the pt or family (thanks alot, doc, you might mention it to the end stage COPDer, for example).

All day I could:

1. Give old ladies and fellows back rubs before bed

2. Take away someone's pain

3. Teach someone something helpful about their disease/lifestyle that they take to heart.

allevi · Nov 21, 2008

don't like mucus, drug seeking patients and demanding family members

PiPhi2004 · Nov 21, 2008

I would love to NEVER have to:
1. Clean up incontinent people, especially the poopy ones. I will NEVER get used to the sight and smell of poop-- ICK. I can barely even stand my own. It's weird, but it seems like the longer I am in nursing, the MORE sensitive and grossed out I get by poop.
2. Do anything that causes excruciating pain to a patient.
3. Deal with anxious and/or demanding family members.
I enjoy:
1. Suctioning patients and getting all that gunk out of their lungs. I know it sounds weird, but it feels so satisfying when I hear the difference in the patient's breathing!
2. Having a patient who makes me genuinely laugh.
3. A smoothly running shift (no codes, ample working equipment, no multiple bed changes, pain-free patients) while working with my favorite co-workers. Cannot remember when the last time I've had a shift like that, if ever!

I'm the exact opposite, give me the poop, take away the secretions!

Sonjailana · Nov 21, 2008

Not to do

1. Get interrupted every 30 seconds.

2. Talk to abusive/stupid family members (there are a lot that want to feed end stage pts with dysphagia and try to sneak forcing food in their mouths...I want to smack them!..or, is A-Fib caused by his dreams? or his PICC line?)

3.Clean up explosive C-Diff on a bed bound pt that is irritable and needs cleaning every half hour.

To do:

Spend time assessing and talking with pts

Having time meeting all their needs and getting the little stuff for them

Having all my supplies at my fingertips (meds, computers, linens, staff, helpful docs)

PiPhi2004 · Nov 21, 2008

I would love to NEVER have to:
1. Clean up incontinent people, especially the poopy ones. I will NEVER get used to the sight and smell of poop-- ICK. I can barely even stand my own. It's weird, but it seems like the longer I am in nursing, the MORE sensitive and grossed out I get by poop.
2. Do anything that causes excruciating pain to a patient.
3. Deal with anxious and/or demanding family members.
I enjoy:
1. Suctioning patients and getting all that gunk out of their lungs. I know it sounds weird, but it feels so satisfying when I hear the difference in the patient's breathing!
2. Having a patient who makes me genuinely laugh.
3. A smoothly running shift (no codes, ample working equipment, no multiple bed changes, pain-free patients) while working with my favorite co-workers. Cannot remember when the last time I've had a shift like that, if ever!

I'm the exact opposite, give me the poop, take away the secretions!

1) Torturing patients because family tells us to (even though it is IN WRITING, not what the patient wanted)

2) know-it-all nurses, MDs with the God complex, disappearing CNAs. In a perfect world, everyone would be a delight to work with, my orders would be correct and complete and I would never have to argue about it, and when I had a code brown there would be plenty of help to go around!

3) Documentation only for the purpose of not getting sued, Joint Comission!

In a perfect world

1) Patients would be allowed to die with dignity and with plenty of meds on board to keep them comfortable

2) Every piece of equipment would work like it's supposed to and equal LESS time messing with it and more time doing what we need to be doing

3) all patients would look clean and tidy and feel comfortable at the end of the shift, the room would be spotless, and I would never have to say "I didn't get this done due to x, y and z" again and Joint Comission would be cute little fairies with baskets of treats for all us good little RNs, LPNs, etc, kind of like santa claus!