What HARD truth have you learned once you became a nurse and/or CNA?

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Good or bad. About the field in general, humanity, or society? How does that truth effect you and how you do your job?

My nursing school buddy was former Army. He summed it up simply, "People Are Stupid."

3 years working ER, I can confirm this is truth.

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That preventative care is my passion and acute care is NOT for me. Now I am doing my best to get back into primary care and it's tough.

That I am no longer the "nicey-nice" person I was before I started in healthcare and my patience for crap is dwindling.

That you can say No to your employer. You can and must stand up for yourself and your patients. Just be prepared for the repercussions.

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Specializes in Med Surge, Tele, Oncology, Wound Care.

That it is not enough to save a patients life, they EXPECT it, and they EXPECT it to be done without pain, fluffed pillows, iced apple/cranberry juice cocktails served with a 3 course meal post op, q2hr dilaudid with a friendly reminder hourly, prn dilaudid because the dressing came off again for the 3rd time this shift and dilaudid is ordered for every dressing change...Within a second of pushing their call light.

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Specializes in Legal, Ortho, Rehab.

You will always hurt...

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Neuro/Oncology floor nursing..

For me so matter how hard you might try to keep work and home separate a lot of times your worlds definitely collide. I can't tell you how many times I've gone into nurse mode at home be it with family, friends, neighbors or even with myself. Same at work..can't tell you how many times I've run into someone I know either as a patient or with a patient.

Also another thing I learned is that becoming the patient is very humbling..being on both sides of the bedrails has definitely made me more patient and compassionate!

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I chose the absolutely WRONG career. I did enjoy ( to a point) the latter part of my career in public health and public service.

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

If a patient looks you in the eye and tells you they are going to die - take that seriously.

Even if there seems to be no reason for reason. I've diverted a helicopter a handful of times direct to a cath lab on "I'm going to die" declaration because, no you will not die if I can help it. Perhaps the EKG wasn't diagnostic, but the declaration was prognostic.

Since death tends to be very still, you get a small window of time to move very fast. Don't miss it.

My "Spidey Senses" have saved MY LIFE many times over. They have also save the lives of my PATIENTS. Only when I've talked myself out of heeding them have I found myself in the deep doodie. Avoid the doodie. Nothing good happens in the doodie.

:angel:

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

A lot of what made me very good at my job (as a firefighter and paramedic, then ER nurse, Flight Nurse) did not make me the best wife.

My hubby was NOT in the "business" and while I was used to being able to "gain control of difficult situations", it was soon pretty clear that I was just kind of controlling. And not in a good way. Funny how my kitties resisted being controlled. And the hubby really resisted. Damn.

It's important to remember that work is work and home is not work. Being successful is more than just being good at your job. Make home a haven. Your safe happy place. Really. A place to set that baggage down and just be.

:angel:

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Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.
There are things much worse than death.

THIS.

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Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..

I firmly believe the nursing career path takes people on a journey. Nursing also tends to be a catalyst for growth, both as a professional and personally. There are times where you will strive, other times you can't do much more than just survive.

The hard truth I learned: At the end of the day, a life that is driven by ego is an empty life. No matter how good things may be today or even tomorrow, eventually the emptiness of such a life takes over.

In short, I had to learn there was more to life than just "besting" everyone at everything. My realization that I was filling my gas tank with ego came at a cost, but I'm better off for it.

With that realization came too an understanding that sometimes just being "me" instead of "the best" was fine. I came to a place where I could forgive myself when I didn't finish first in the race.

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Coworkers are not your friends.

Don't trust anyone on the job with any information, regardless the nature.

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Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.
Hard truth? It is far too easy to "fall down" and get foreign objects stuck in your rectum, or so I am told.

I think I'll make this into a tee shirt (or have it etched on my tombstone)! :woot:

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