i never wanted to be a nurse…was practically forced into applying for the nursing program at the university and cried the day nursing classes showed up on my roster. admittedly, i was a bit of a snob—thinking nursing was an ‘easy’ major and somewhat beneath me (i had been a biochem major), but it honestly has been a fantastic decision and one i’ve been happy with.

the fabulous 3 day work week has allowed me to take ‘weekend’ (which are 5+ days on our nursing schedule if you plan it right) trips to london, paris, nyc, and la. because of the nursing shortage the pay is above average and the perks are, generally, good. i’m actually working for a travel agency right now and life is pretty sweet.

there are good days, when you know you saved a life, when a family member thanks you, or the patient gives you a hug or a homemade basket with tears in their eyes saying you made all the difference.

there are frustrating days when you’re assigned 10 patients because someone called in sick, when the surgeon refuses to acknowledge the family’s wishes to just let a patient (who’s been lying in the icu for a month with no hope of recovery) go.

there are the sad days when you do let patients go. when you’re taking care of a 19-year-old boy who was thrown out of a car in the ambulance bay with 5 gun shot wounds thru his chest and there’s really nothing you can do except give the mother a hug as she tells you-tears streaming down her face- ‘it’s prob’ly better this way because he’d turned into a good-for-nothing drug dealer’

there are the days you just wanna slap the snot outta doctors, who ignore you and belittle what you have to say, and then when the patient codes or crumps, blame you. in the last 2.5 years of nursing i have gotten sprayed in the face with crap (literally), spit on, grabbed on the ass (by patients, doctors, and other co-workers), punched, threatened, and had my job belittled by more friends and family than you can count (“oh..you’re just a nurse? all you do is what the doctor tells you, right?...you just give medication, right?”).

one of my instructors in school made a comment our senior year saying “you have the most important job. not only do you have to know and do your job…but you have to know the doctor’s and the make sure they don’t screw up.” i thought it sounded insanely egocentric at the time, and indeed, we all watch each other’s backs, but i cannot tell you how true this statement is. how many times i’ve had a resident during a code look at me and say, “well, what do we do now?” or while putting in a chest tube or central line, look at me with a deer in the head-lights look and ask me “am i doing this right?” but you know what, i appreciate those docs-the ones that realize they don’t know it all and are open to advice-much more than the ones that bark out irrational orders and yell when questioned because they’re overcompensating for their ignorance. and just the same, as a nurse, if you don’t know, just admit it. and learn. nobody knows everything and they can’t expect you to know everything.

if you want to be a nurse, be ready for the frustration. be ready to stand up to doctors. make sure you chart to the point that people make fun of you because your license is just one lawsuit away (i’ve already had 2 of my good friends who are fabulous nurses get screwed over for stupid things everybody does and are now jobless).

and no. no matter what your friggin’ instructors say, you don’t have to do careplans when you get outta school. (now if that ain’t a relief, i don’t know what is :)