Sometimes I wonder what you all would think if you knew what I do all day at work... No offense but I bet I do things you wouldn't even imagine could be done to another human being, all in the name of medicine of course. My work is so different from what most of the world does. My self-esteem gets a boost when I put in a catheter somebody else couldn't get in a little old fat lady. How strange is that? (God did not intend for people to get enormously fat for a good reason...) I think nurses have to have each other to talk to because... well... you can't come home to just anybody who asks you the question "So, what'd you do today?" and answer "Well, I stuck a tube about the size of your index finger down somebody's nose and got back this gross brownish green stuff but it really made the guy feel better..." People in the medical profession build up a tolerance for what we do so we can talk about just about anything in a matter-of-fact way and laugh at horrific things like terminal cancer and death. We really aren't horrible callous people, it's just what we have to do to cope.
Sometimes the patients you come across have so much going on in their lives you just want to hug them and cry with them. Sometimes you wonder if your patients are even human, how God could make someone that mean and nasty, or someone who is quite literally that insane. Yesterday in the midst of my crazy day with patients with tubes in every possible place, a patient who needed some psychiatric medication, and some who were looking at death in the next year or so I decided that nursing has to be one of the strangest most varied professions. If you only knew the things I do all day at work...
2 comments:
I understand completely. I made fast friends with an elderly woman after getting out chunks of ear wax the size of my little finger out of each ear. We had time for a nice conversation during that process. Her name was Grace so ever after became Amazing Grace. She was really funny about the whole thing. Turned out her granddaughter was one of Carrie's friends and on her softball team (this was in Maryland).
Many days I come home from work thinking about what I did all day and why I probably shouldn't tell Gregg about it. Its a blessing to be able to help somebody, whether they realize it or appreciate it, when they are in need. Many times its just a small thing.
I am glad you realize what you do for people, it's how I know you are a good nurse.
Cheri
jaclyn,
it's always good to hear some writing from you. you are an amazing writer you know that? and i'm sure you are an even more amazing nurse. the world needs people like you. :)
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