What DO we do...really?

[DREAMSDOCOMETRUE0610]

I entered a patient room the other day, and found myself in the following situation:

As I entered a patient room, I introduced myself as the nurse, told the patient that I was going to perform a quick assessment on him, and began my full assessment. When I was done, I went to wash my hands and was about to leave the room when suddenly the patient asked me, "So, is that all you do?" I asked him what he meant by that and he said, "You know, just use that thing and listen to me. Is that all you do?" Needless to say, this question really took me aback and it took me a minute to recuperate before I told him that we also give medications, which I would be giving him shortly, and quickly left the room.

When I sat and thought about this question though, it really struck me and kind of got under my skin. In the patient's eyes, is that REALLY all that we do? I mean we as nurses do other things, but they are mostly either behind closed doors or things which patients either don't need to know or wouldn't understand. So from a patient's viewpoint, IS that all that we do?

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I don't even worry about the ignorance anymore because I get it twice as bad, being an OR nurse. There are other nurses who have zero idea of what we do and how hard we work, I'm not sure I'd expect a patient to understand.

[JBudd, MSN]

There is a really excellent article on what nurses do by Suzanne Gordon, you can find it be searching Medscape.com.

This is an excerpt:

"Here is what I think nurses do. Using their considerable knowledge, they protect patients from the risks and consequences of illness, disability, and infirmity, as well as from the risks and consequences of the treatment of illness. They also protect patients from the risks that occur when illness and vulnerability make it difficult, impossible, or even lethal for patients to perform the activities of daily living -- ordinary acts like breathing, turning, going to the toilet, coughing, or swallowing.

Even the most emotional work nurses do is a form of rescue. When nurses construct a relationship with patients or their families, they are rescuing patients from social isolation, terror, or the stigma of illness or helping family members cope with their loved ones' illnesses.

What do nurses do? They save lives, prevent complications, prevent suffering, and save money."

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/520714_2

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Sort off topic, but I have friends and family who can't figure out what I do either. Because I don't work in ER or OR, the main settings they see in the media, they can't conceive of what else a nurse could possible do.

When I went for my MN, these same people were puzzled. I can only guess they thought I was studying Graduate Bed Making , and wrote my thesis on "Evolution from Hand Maiden to Sex Object".

[waksbr]

My sisters husband was like this--thought all she did was hand out a few pills and write a few notes. He had no clue what nursing entails. Always complained that she didn't want to work extra pulling a double or giving up her days off. Even when she took an office job he couldn't figure out why she wouldn't spend her two off days (at least one of them) at the hospital to bring in some extra money--afterall a nurses job is easy right?!? I mean you guys don't do much right? Seriously?!?

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

Heck, I don't know that even my hubby has a decent idea of what I do at work...and that's after over a decade of listening to me talk about it!

I've said for years that we need to have a "take your spouse to work day" for all those spouses who aren't in health care.

My Dad was amazed, when my Mom was hospitalized for a week last year, at "all that stuff" that I knew. Especially the first day she was there, which ended with emergency surgery @ 2100. He was freaked out and upset (Mom was too sick to care or have a clue what was really going on), and his questions were endless. At one point she started having severe chest pain, and I helped walk the nurse through what was needed after she asked for help (she knew me from way back when and knew I worked tele at a sister hospital and knew the hospitalist fairly well). Dad just couldn't get over it. It made me want to giggle and cry at the same time. If our closest family members have no idea what it is that we do and what we know, how can we expect the pts to?

[Devie06]

The first time I was hospitilized was at about 9 weeks pregnant for hyperenimus graviderum (?) And my nurse was wonderful! She put the IV in, helped me walk, and sat beside me explaining why I was feeling so awful, and stories of her kids (this was a tiny hospital mind you). The second time I was in the hospital was for my emergency c-section. I had attempted a home birth but my daughter was breech with one foot behind her butt and the other in front of her face I was in terrible pain, contractions every 45 seconds or sooner. My nurse was fabulous! She helped me breathe, she practically bent me forward to receive my spinal block and she was very encouraging. Once in my room with my daughter, all I saw thw nurses do was listen to my breath, clean my "parts" and answer questions. But to me that was a big deal, especially as a first time mom :) Now I cant wait to be a nurse!

[Bumashes, MSN, APRN, NP]

My sisters husband was like this--thought all she did was hand out a few pills and write a few notes. He had no clue what nursing entails. Always complained that she didn't want to work extra pulling a double or giving up her days off. Even when she took an office job he couldn't figure out why she wouldn't spend her two off days (at least one of them) at the hospital to bring in some extra money--afterall a nurses job is easy right?!? I mean you guys don't do much right? Seriously?!?

If my hubby did that I'd bring home an IV start kit with one of our 14 gauge 1 1/2" trauma needles and show him the most basic of our tasks... Maybe even a 28 french foley to assist with his enlightenment. If those didn't work, I could always set him up with a fecal management system as well as an NG tube. Maybe after there are tubes in every orifice he could learn to shut up.