Compassion Is My Life

I am a nurse. I love nursing; although I don't do it full time. My full time work is in clinical research at a (gasp! choke!) pharmaceutical company. Yes, I belong to the evil empire, the "big drug company" as the media like to descibe us. It's much easier to hate something that doesn't have an identity you know. Maybe I will post on that another time, but for now, it is my other job on which I will go into a diatribe.

So what is nursing all about? Some still like to think of us as those young women in white, including the cap, that float tirelessly from patient to patient giving back rubs and tending their wounds until they are well.................well......no, it's not. First of all, the average age these days is 45. Unless you want dogs that kill you, a back that feels like it is breaking, and people that feel that you are there to wait on them hand and foot, nursing is not a career path for you. OK that is a bit harsh, but I just finished a 16 hour shift.....Secondly, the nursing cap has gone the way of the buggy whip. With so many men in the field these days, they would look a little funny with the cap anyway.
Most nurses are sleep deprived, (shift work will do that to you) not sure what day it is, (shift work will do that to you), can eat any type of food at any time of day (shift work will do that to you), and can be distracted trying to remember if everything was done before they left their shift. Did I mention the shift work? It isn't uncommon to get a call or make a call to the nurse that just relieved you or you just relieved telling them something that was important, or making sure something was done that you were pretty sure you did but can't remember.

There are rewards. The money can be good, but if you are getting into the field for the money.....please don't. Patients like to talk to us. They tell us things they won't tell the doctor. We want to listen, but one of our biggest complaints is that we don't always have the time to do that. When someone goes home better than when they came in, that makes us happy, especially if we helped that through the long nights. When someone doesn't make it, we are there to cry with those who are left. We encourage all kinds of bodily functions and noises that would be rude outside the walls of the unit. Some times we even clap and cheer for those functions and noises. Some really funny things happen, some really gross things happen, (just a hint...always wear gloves before you plunge your hand under a patient) some really sad things happen. We get to peek into the lives of others and enrich ourselves along the way. Do I get tired of telling the same gentleman to please put down his gown, his privates aren't going to go anywhere? Sometimes. Do I get tired of the 25th request for ice while I am running down the hall to someone that can't get their breath? Sometimes. Do I get tired of the "I pay your salary, you need to come when I call!" Definitely. I don't do it full time...bless those that do. It's now Friday again, my job for the week is over...I have a double shift tomorrow. I'm pretty sure some more stuff will happen during that time