10 Things Nurses Wish You Knew
1) We chose to be nurses, not doctors. It’s not a case of “oh i couldn’t be a doctor so I became a nurse”, no. It’s what we wanted to do.
2) We are often over-worked and understaffed. So if we don’t get your relative that glass of water you asked for within 5 minutes, please do not yell at us. We have lots of things to do.
3) We do more than clean people and beds, thank you very much. A registered nurse often has numerous tasks to do, such as medications (including injections and IV fluids), taking bloods, doing constant observations of patient’s physical and mental health, and some of us can even prescribe meds too. Nursing has progressed massively in the last few decades.
4) I look tired because I am.
5) We’ve seen many different bodies in all shapes and sizes. We’ve seen all sorts of bodily fluids, so not much will phase us. Please don’t be embarrassed.
6) We had to go to university to get here. A lot of non-medical people believe that nursing is an easy profession to get into, but it’s actually not all smooth sailing. To become a registered nurse, you must go through at least 3 or 4 years minimum training before you get on that nursing register. We are educated.
7) We see a lot of stuff. During the duration of a nurse’s career, we are bound to see more than our fair share of death and other upsetting events. We’re likely to be there when people take their last breath, or when a patient has decided that they no longer can go on and attempt suicide. I am a student nurse and I have seen both of these already. Sometimes we will get nightmares about it, I know I do. But we carry on, because there’s always someone else in need.
8) We really shouldn’t tolerate verbal abuse from patients/families. We understand that you’re upset or distressed, but yelling at your nurses is not going to help your situation. Ever. Just don’t do it, don’t be a dick. We’re trying to help.
9) I love my job, but sometimes I really would rather be at home, or with my family, or at that birthday party i missed because i was working, or on that holiday I can’t afford to go on.
10) Listen to us, because we know what we’re talking about. Sometimes a nurse will be able to spot something before a doctor will. Sometimes the nurse will be right and the doctor will be wrong.
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