Published
Yeah, it's a slow night ... so sue me!
I was thinking back to nursing school and how it was. I remember when I first gave an IV push med. Because I worked as a nursing assistant in critical care for so long before school, I remember thinking that I knew I would be a "real" nurse when I was allowed to give meds IV push. And then I did. It was a great feeling.
I also remember how it was when I was learning cardiac rhythms. I struggled so hard to follow every step and kept asking questions about interpretation. These days I don't even "see" the interpretation anymore -- it's like being able to read a book it comes so naturally.
I guess I'm saying "hang in there" to all the students. After a few years of nursing you'll look back and smile at how new it all was.
Originally posted by Jenny PWe've been busy this weekend, Matt, consider yourself lucky for having the slow night. I'm glad I'm off tonight!
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Yeah ... what time did I write that? 0230? 0300? Two hours later all hell broke loose both in ER and on the floors and I was running my scrubs off.
Apparently, you're not even supposed to type "quiet" or "slow".
Now I know.
The first time I dropped an NGT and got there I began to feel hope(was a student then)...
My big sister, 10 years my senior was also an RN, and I grew up in her shadow, always being compared to her. My mom had cancer and I hospiced her at home before hospice was cool(in the mid 70's). I was a new grad at the ripe old age of 19. The day my mom laid in bed and said to my older sister's face..." No, I want Barbie to give me my shots and draw my blood because I can't feel it when she sticks me"...that's when I knew I'd arrived. Did I mention my mom was also a nurse? ...I suppose nursing is an inheritable trait after all...
The first time I felt like a real nurse was when I walked the hall all night with a soon-to-be young widow as her husband was dying. She could'nt stand to be in the room seeing him like that and I did'nt want her to be alone. All I did was keep him clean, turned, and pain-free. After he died she hugged me and thanked me for everything even though I felt like I had done nothing.
I guess you don't need to save someone's life to be appreciated
Gosh - I can only dream of what my first experience will be which will make me feel like a real nurse. Since i am a dreamer (not the only one) I'll go for it. I believe I will feel like a real nurse for the first time when I give my first IV to someone. Thats pretty simplistic, I know. Also, when anyone asks me for help, or advice, about their health, and listens. When I get my pin I will wear it all the time like my power. I feel like a nurse all ready, in a certain sense, because of touch. When I touch people, I can feel they are appreciating me touching their hands, and my hands are warm. You don't hafta be a nurse to have warm hands, but its the energy of care and love behind them that will feel so good to administer when I have that RN next to my name.
Thank you Matt!
I've been a Registered Nurse for... 10 weeks now, and a working graduate nurse for five weeks. I first realised I was a REAL nurse when I stayed with my grandmother during my 5-week break and she became ill. I was able to get her into a hospital by my assessment, and by detailed but concise answers to doctor/ ambulance crew questions. My aunt had tried to get her admitted two days previously, but the GP thought it was just a cold. She had pneumonia.
I FELT like a real nurse a couple of weeks ago when a febrile neutropenic patient (I work on a haematology ward) needed urgent peripheral blood cultures, and my preceptor pointed me to the room and said "go for it". I'd gone through the process with her only a few hours before, and it all happened really smoothly. If the patient hadn't known me from earlier, I swear he'd have thought I'd done it a hundred times already...
RNforLongTime
1,577 Posts
The First time I felt like a "real" nurse was the very first day of orientation at the nursing home where I had previously been an aide. They had hired me as a part time RN. This was good back in 1997 as getting a job around my part of the country was kind of tough. Well, that very first day of orientation, I was late!!! The alarm didn't go off or something. But I felt good when all of my "aide" friends made comments on how nice I looked in white!