Real nurse?

In a conversation I had someone ask me if I was a “real nurse”.

Yeah, let that sink in for a moment.

Here’s what happened:

I was having a conversation with an individual and they asked me what I do, I told them I’m a nurse. Their response: “so are you a real nurse?”

This was my exact face:

I had to ask what they meant by “real nurse”. Their answer? “You know, a real nurse like ones that work in a hospital and not in a nursing home or doc in the box.”

Of course you know this means war…

I ask why those nurses aren’t real nurses. Apparently (according to this person) those nurses don’t really do anything but take vitals and give meds.

Oh really?

OH REALLY?

To people who think like this I have a question, CAN YOU DO IT? Can you be responsible for the safety and welfare of multiple patients, often at the same damn time? It was a real nurse that took care of you at Patient First when you caught the flu. It was a real nurse that got punched in the face by your demented Nana. It was a real nurse that handled your kid’s GI bug that you brought him to the doc in the box for. It was a real nurse that has been the only person some of these elderly assisted living patients get to talk to since you haven’t visited Grandpa in 3 years.

WE ARE ALL REAL NURSES.

Needless to say, I am an advocate for my nurses.

Broken hearted

I see the stories of school shooting after school shooting and I am so broken hearted. My heart hurts for the students that lose their lives. I hurt for the teachers that lose their lives. I hurt for all of the families and friends left to try and make sense of the violence.

I also hurt for the medical personnel that have to see the victims. The medics and EMT’s that are some of the first on scene. I hurt for the ER docs and nurses that do everything they can but still aren’t able to save all their patients. I hurt for the ICU, step down, and floor nurses that care for the ones that do survive.

You all were a part of the school shooting too. Yet, you have to put away your thoughts and feelings, your hurt and pain because there are other patients to take care of.

I thank you for your strength. I thank you for being able to endure through Hell. I thank you for going through it and still coming back to work the next day.

You are amazing.

I just wish you didn’t have to be.

On my own

This was my last week of orientation in MRI nursing. Starting Monday I’ll be on my own.

I’m nervous.

It’s not that I don’t think I can do the job. Compared to getting my ass handed to me in the STICU, this is going to be somewhat less stressful. It’s the fact that procedural nursing is new for me. I’ve been bedside for 8 years now. I’ve always been in charge of the patient because they were “mine”. Now I’m dealing mostly with outpatients. I also deal with kids. As you all know, I don’t do kids, they make me uncomfortable. I will still have inpatient contact but while I am responsible for their safety while in MRI, they aren’t mine. I have to remember that my contact with them is as a MRI nurse and not as their primary nurse.

That’s a little weird for me.

It’s also kind of nice. Patient being a douche? I can send them on their way. Patient too confused to hold still for the MRI? Back to the unit for you buddy.

Not going to lie, it’s fabulous not going home with back pain everyday.

I think I’m going to like finally being on my own, you know, once I get over the initial shock of it.

PALS is not my pal…

I took PALS this week. If you aren’t familiar with that acronym it stands for Pediatric Advanced Life Support. It’s ACLS for kids.

I don’t like kids.

I don’t want to work with kids.

Thanks to my new job, I occasionally work with kids.

I’m in MRI now and I have contact with individuals of all ages from one week old to 99 year olds. This is new to me. I’ve worked with adults my entire career. That’s been on purpose. I don’t like kids and I don’t know what to do with them. Everything dealing with pediatrics is intimidating to me and I commend all of you pediatric nurses.

Honestly, it’s the math. I SUCK AT MATH!

EVERYTHING with kids is weight based and that just throws me off. Everything I’ve learned in PALS involves the weight of the child as a basis for how to treat. With adults it’s typically a general dose. Don’t get me wrong, there are some weight based meds for adults but typically a miscalculation isn’t going to kill them quite as quickly as it could a child. Children are so much more fragile and I’m afraid I’m going to do far more damage to a sick child. I couldn’t live with myself if my poor math skills resulted in the death of a child. I’m just going to keep my hands off.

So why was I sitting in a PALS class?

It’s mandatory for me. Radiology nursing is considered “progressive care” and we are required to have PALS and ACLS since I come in contact with all ages. We do sedation on our claustrophobic patients and recover them afterwards so the potential for an emergency is absolutely there. I mean, I needed the class. I learned quite a bit. I had no idea just how different it is caring for a child when compared to adults. I now feel a little more prepared to handle a pediatric emergency. I will probably still freak out completely but at least I will know what to do if someone can calm me down.

PALS made me realize I will never be a pediatric nurse. Rock on pediatric nurses, rock on!