Nursing ~ what we sometimes wish you knew

Nursing . They say its not just a profession, it's a calling. It takes a lot of hard work, determination and sometimes courage, it can take everything from you but can be so rewarding.

Likelihood is you probably all know a nurse, but often people don't know or appreciate what we do. Sometimes I just wish people knew a little bit more about a nurses role.

In acute nursing no day is the same. You can spend the day endlessly answering call bells for another drink, another blanket, answering questions that you & the doctors have already answered but a different family member wants to know. Or you can be literally saving a life.

The work load can be strenuous, lots of patients and specifically in the case of paediatrics, families to care for. It can be very scary and stressful being unwell and to each individual, they are the ones that need most attention, that they should be your priority. They don't understand that you also have several other patients to care for. Ward rounds to attend, numerous trips to other departments for procedures (X-RAYS, CT scans, operating theatres) time critical medications need to be administered and lots & lots of charting!!! all to be done at the point of care. They see you sat down (charting) or talking (seeking colleagues opinions or next plan of action) or having a drink at the nurses station (maybe the first time you were able to have a sip of water in 8 hours) They don't see the numerous phone calls made on their behalf chasing results, chasing down doctors for advice, reviews and plans of care. They don't see the staff shortages, that nobody has had a break let alone had time to use the bathroom. They don't see the patients waiting to be assessed, the attenders coming for dressing changes or blood tests waiting. They do t see the poorly child in the next room struggling to hold on. They don't see all the nurses, doctors and specialists fighting for this patient.
Sometimes they only see that you didn't come back immediately with their request.

We do not leave you waiting on purpose. Ultimately we want patients to get better & go home!!!

Nurses are everything rolled into one ~ cleaner, cook, maid, pharmacist, hand holder, playmate, respite giver, advocate and friend.
We are there from your first moment to the very last.

People can say we don't have the same responsibility as doctors - we are highly trained, we are the front line. We have to triage & decide on our clinical judgement who needs to be seen first & who unfortunately (or fortunately) are not as urgent & can wait a little while longer. Whilst we don't diagnose, the majority of the time it is the nurses actually providing the hands on course of treatment- taking blood and specimens, administering medications, tweaking oxygen requirements and machine dependencies, inserting catheters and cannulas, dressing wounds & sometimes repeating what the doctor said in a way the patient actually understands. The buck stops with you. It is our responsibility to check everything the doctor requests against national & local guidelines and policy, check drug calculations, interactions & side effects and numerous other jobs before undertaking any task. We must work within our remit and provide safe exception care, as we would wish to receive.
We work the holidays, miss our family events, have to ask for time off way in advance and pray that nobody else wants that particular week. We can't just have a day off, or know if we can do something in a few weeks, we have to plan months and months in advance. We work crazy unpredictable shift patterns switching from nights to days, covering sickness from a last minute phone call all for the patients & our colleagues.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes that people don't see.

This post sounds so bitter & I really don't mean it to be. There are also the patients & families who nothing is too much trouble, they are so thankful & grateful for everything. The patiently sit out the long wait, delays in care and show an understanding of how busy you are. They make it so rewarding. It is unbelievable how much a small thankyou can actually mean. Discharging a patient home who you have helped recover is the ultimate goal.
The pictures they've drawn you, the cards & chocolates. We appreciate it all, we really do. It makes it all worthwhile, to know that we made a difference.

I love my job but nobody can understand why like another nurse.