What They Didn’t Teach You in Nursing School Series 2: People Don’t Want to Hear About It
If you think nursing is a glorious profession, you may be in for a rude awakening.
As you all know, we deal with all types of body fluids, blood, needles, and death. A lot.
And the fact of the matter is people don’t want to hear about it.
You’ll see this in action when a casual, “How is your job going?” turns into a 15 minute rant about how difficult it is to take care of people and watch them be in pain, or suffer, or die. The look on the face of the person you are being honest with will enlighten you to the truth: they don’t want to know.
It does not surprise me that nurses have such a tight bond with each other. They hang out with each other outside of work. They get married. It makes sense. These people understand each other. No one understands the reality of a q6h lactulose enema like another nurse.
So if you are just getting out of nursing school:
- Remember to find a close knit group of nurses to hang out with–if for no other reason than therapy
- Stay in touch with your classmates–they may be your biggest ally
- And whatever you do, don’t be upset when people don’t give you the time of day with your work stories–it may just be too much for some people to handle.
Same thing is true for chaplains!!!
Nursing, and being in he hospital is a refuge. Regular people want to believe that it’s a safe haven when they feel like crap. The problem is it’s staffed (usually) with clever, dedicated, burnt out clinicians and run be a bunch of inept business school rejects.
Ok that’s probably vastly over-simplifying…;)
Seriously, people hear that things are great, from a nurse, gives a sense of safety. Like NOT everything has gone to hell in this day and age.
I hope this didn’t persist.
But you’re right. I didn’t marry “within the community” as is were and I wonder if things have suffered as a result. That goes too with me saying in another post that I got out of FT nursing.
Oh! Lactulose enema. Worst words ever.
Thanks for the tips:
So if you are just getting out of nursing school:
* Remember to find a close knit group of nurses to hang out with–if for no other reason than therapy
* Stay in touch with your classmates–they may be your biggest ally
* And whatever you do, don’t be upset when people don’t give you the time of day with your work stories–it may just be too much for some people to handle.
OH my gosh, it is so true. Nobody really understands what it is like to be a nurse unless you are another nurse. But along with the q6h lactulose enema comes the patient that loves you like their own daughter, who needs you like your own child, and who honors you like your own spouse. What other career is there where you will receive those benefits. Even if you have to wade through some S*** to get them.
I love my career with all it’s ups and downs and ins and outs. Thanks for sharing. Jana http://www.adoctornadnurse.com