What is your Nursing Super Power?

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Inspired by the 'Super Senses' thread, and the hilarious responses.....

What is your nursing super power?

Mine is making babies poop. Especially constipated NICU babies on high-cal formula. I've literally bragged about this skill at family functions.

What is your super power?

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
What is your nursing super power?

Mine is making babies poop.

Would making incontinent geriatric Patients poop be counted? If so, I'm there with you, adventure_rn!

What is your nursing super power?

Ah gee, adventure_rn, answering that question will mean I have to talk positively about myself.

Well... alright, then:

I believe I have a nursing superpower in talking down acting out psychotic Patients. A couple of recent examples:

An acting out ex-con schizophrenic threatened two female staff members, saying he was going to kill them. I had him follow me into the room used for seclusions, and got him to take two po prn meds of Vistaril 25mg and Zyprexa 10mg.

One of the female staff members called for Security to come to the unit. When the Patient saw the two Men in uniform, he went ballistic. I requested that they stay out of sight and they monitored the seclusion room from the nurses station by video.

Within a half an hour, the Patient was able to have a discourse with me, had committed to safety, and apologized to the female Staff.

Another time recently, the Adult Male Unit called a Code Green, as a big 20 something year old Patient was threatening to "F--- everybody up!" I asked the RN on the unit, who had syringes of Haldol and Ativan for a chemical restraint ready, if I could talk with the Patient. In a matter of minutes, the Patient committed to safety and agreed to follow staff's directions. No other intervention was necessary that night.

However, the next day, both chemical and mechanical restraints needed to be used on the Patient.

Yep. Talking down psychotic acting our Patients is my nursing superpower.

Speaking of superpowers, I know a Doctor who said he could perform miracles:

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Hooray for positive threads!

Mine is calming the nervous family member. I'm generally pretty accommodating and prefer to listen, which goes over well. But then if I have a more demanding family, I'm generally a PTA for all the providers trying to advocate for them. So yeah... My greatest strength is my greatest weakness lol

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I can make kids trust me easily and calm them down. I use my pokemon, anime, manga hobbies and they love to talk to me about issues and basically anything.

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"OT" syndrome which I call "off tomorrow" syndrome. I will put up with most anything as long as I am "off tomorrow." If I have to be back in the morning, suddenly the shift change admission, working without a CNA or having multiple admits and discharges while others coasted with the same patients seems a lot less OK.

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What is your nursing super power?

The ability to say no to my employer without feeling even remotely guilty :)

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I'm a "cranky old ___" whisperer. Give me an assignment with a curmudgeon or two any time. Usually by the end of the shift we'll be getting along just fine. And if they still don't like me, God bless them anyway. I'll provide the best care I can and listen if they need. I never would have guessed in school the crazy old people would be my niche. Gotta love 'em.

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I'm the CVICU Patient Whisperer. It's an official title, came complete with a sign hung on my locker and a dozen full-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which I was not required to share. I can tame the meanest of the mean. And the Families from you know where that complain about everything including the color of jello Mom got for lunch and the carpet in the waiting room, it's always, Send for Sonnet, she'll know what to do. And I just HANDLE IT.

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I'm not talking about psychiatric patients, just the run of the mill odd balls. I can just handle it, as sevensonmets said. I frequently hear, "The patient in 7 is really odd....crazy....weird, etc., let brownbook take her".

It is a combination of not taking it personally, understanding they are what they are, they can't change their personalities, and maybe are a little mentally ill.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I can find the humor in most awful shifts, and have helped my orientees and colleagues through many a horrendous shift merely by poking fun at the situation.

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Is it a superpower to somehow always get all the L2K patients on the floor on any given shift? If I don't end up crazy myself one of these days then maybe I should just consider a move to Psych nursing...on second thought if I can get Nursery or NICU then I'll just have crazy families not crazy patients. Last night was the best combo, all 3 L2Ks and all of them plus 2 of my other 3 patients were on Special Contact Precautions for CDIFF.

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I am patient. Like some of you ahead of me, I am good with the restless and agitated.

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