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

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

I learned good guys and gals finish their med passes later than most others. I also learned to do "walking rounds" with nurses I haven't worked with before. Here's why: On one occasion, I was told a G-tube patient was fine and dandy. When I went to check on him, the feeding bag was two days old and the G-tube was clogged with contents that were as hard a day-old oatmeal. I worked on him both of my shifts that weekend, with telephone orders from the facility doctor, and couldn't get the G-tube unclogged. We wanted to send him to the hospital, but he declined to go. Needless to say I thoroughly documented the entire occurence. Yup...good guys and gals always finish last...

The family members that live the farthest away always have the stongest opinions and will insist on getting their way.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Some residents have the greatest, most supportive families. Others have families that are just a pain in our backsides, but at least those families pretend to be involved. Then we have the residents whose families live around the corner and never, ever take a moment to visit. These are also always the families that complain the fastest and loudest if something happens that actually requires their attention.

My turn:

1. The staff that always seem to be done on time and never late, are the worst. Ironically they are the exact same people with strong opinions on who is a good nurse or not.

2. Some CNA seem to think that only RN sit around and do nothing. While they too can be just as bad

3. Crappy nurses and CNA depend on "guilt trip of others" to not have to give decent patient care. For example the cna who leaves the area on a typical 1hr break while never checking on their patient before they went for the last 4 hrs. The family comes out upset and you have to do their work. This also applies to nurses who don't medicate their patient; leaves on a long smoke break and some other nurse or charge has to do it.

Bonus: sometimes that nurse/cna is literally feet away but is prevented from getting up by the "I'm a lazy B force field". That's when you go up to them and say "hey YOUR PATIENT needs you!!!" Some don't have this ability and will do their work anyway. While complaining about it too.

4. The nurses/CNA that are not in those popular work cliques, can be some of the hardest working nurses.

5. That drunk drug addicted patient use to be that cute kid down the lane. What happened to them? No one is born like that.

6. Many people are just plain lonely. And I don't mean only seniors. Humans are truly social creatures.

7. Hold someone's hand with sincerity. Even the most burly tough man will squeeze your hand back.

8. I can be repulsed and disgusted by patients and family.

9. There are too many young black men who are paralyzed or quads from gsw.

10. If the Walking Dead apocalypse comes I'm teaming up with people in the medical field for survival.

Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.

That basically every nursing job is sh*t.

That it's amazing how many people claim to hate this job, but don't go do something else with their life. I love it.

I had several other jobs first, got my degree at 35, and I can tell you every job comes with its share of BS, whether it's co-workers not pulling their share of the load, bad bosses, crummy wages, or whatever. I wonder if the people who "hate" nursing lack a frame of reference by not having done anything else.

Oh yeah, and there's always that ONE problem child patient that you can conjure out of thin air by saying their name 3 times.

Specializes in nurseline,med surg, PD.

People all have differing expectations, and no matter what you do you cant make everyone happy.

Everything is "the nurse's fault!"

Totally ridiculous.

Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
My turn:

5. That drunk drug addicted patient use to be that cute kid down the lane. What happened to them? No one is born like that.

6. Many people are just plain lonely. And I don't mean only seniors. Humans are truly social creatures.

7. Hold someone's hand with sincerity. Even the most burly tough man will squeeze your hand back.

8. I can be repulsed and disgusted by patients and family.

9. There are too many young black men who are paralyzed or quads from gsw.

10. If the Walking Dead apocalypse comes I'm teaming up with people in the medical field for survival.

AMEN, Desi!!!

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Some nurses go into psych or prison nursing so they can get away with abuse.

Not most. But some.

Specializes in Cardicac Neuro Telemetry.

These are some of the following hard truths, good and bad, for me.

1. Q2 Dilaudid or Morphine sucks

2. People are entitled

3. Nurses are expected to be the gatekeeper for virtually every single little thing

4. All of the wonderful patients and their families that I have encountered FAR outweigh the bad apples

5. Learning patience will save your sanity

6. Patient satisfaction scores have no bearing on quality, evidence based health care (no, you will not get dilaudid if you are barely conscious; no, I am not paging the doctor to discuss increasing your dilaudid dose or frequency because he already told me the answer is no)

7. Patients have no idea what can of worms they've opened when they utter the phrase: "chest pain"

8. I love grumpy old men patients. Especially the ones that you know have a heart of gold but just need some smile and cheer to get them to open up.

9. I also love little old ladies. Especially the ones who fix their hair and make up and insist on looking dolled up before that handsome cardiologist shows up.

10. Yes, patients will refuse dialysis if they know a certain dialysis nurse is working that day.

I have a love hate for my job but at this point, I know being a nurse is the best career for me.

Specializes in OB.
Cute, sweet, 90 year old 100 lb little ladies can turn into the Incredible Hulk around 9pm.

And all of a sudden can swear like sailors...

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