I am a survivor

I made it through my three day holiday weekend shifts in the ER.  It ended on a really good note (I got to leave at 12:15 last night), but at times, it was horrendous.  In fact, one of the worst days I've worked yet happened on Sunday.  My patients were super, super sick and very needy.  I was running back and forth between two rooms for most of the night.  Let's just say it was a (literally) crappy day. 

I've made comments to people and they seemed shocked about different aspects of nursing that they did not know.  So here are a couple of things that you may not know about nursing and ERs. 

1. We (in the ER) clean our own rooms when the patients leave.  Housekeeping does not do it.  With that being said, we usually have to do it quickly.  Now, you know, I'm pretty thorough, but some people are less than thorough, so if I'm ever in an ER, then I'm going to do a little cleaning before my nurse or doctor comes in, if I have time. 
2. We get one 30 minute lunch in a 12 hour shift.  No breaks, unless you smoke and sneak out to do it, which only a couple of people in our department do.  By the way, we are a no smoking campus and they are nurses and know better.  We are lucky to get that lunch.  For the past two days, I didn't get one.  Now, last night I scarfed down my sandwich and a banana around 8:30 in about 5 minutes.  On Sunday, I ate a granola bar at 10:30.  Hmm, and I wonder why I've dropped weight?
3. We do not have techs in the ER at least not the ones that do the bathing and cleaning on other floors.  We clean up vomit, puke, urine, etc, etc.  Most nurses do this too though.  It's part of the job.  Oh my goodness, I had a head wound last night and while cleaning it, I touched something and blood shot everywhere.  I am very thankful that I got none on me or in my eyes, as I was not wearing protective eye wear.
4. If you come to ER and wonder about the wait time, know that we have to wait on your lab work to be done by the lab and for the xrays and cts to be read by a radiologist.  Sometimes CT is slammed and we'll wait hours for a report to be done, which means the patients are waiting hours.  Our hands are tied.  People get very irritated and most of the time, it's not our fault, it's another department's fault.

With all of the above being said, I can see why nurse's become burnt out and bitter, but I'm pretty sure that will never be me.  I've already said that if I feel that mentality coming on I will do nursing somewhere else or look into another job field.  You know what you are getting into when you go through school. 

I started my day yesterday doing an enema.  You know what, it's the nature of the job.  Even with all the not so pleasant things, I have never felt more rewarded with a job EVER.  I literally help save people's lives.  Not only that, but I take their pain away and make them feel better.  My rewards far exceed the negatives. Going back to school was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I am thankful for all the people that encouraged me to go back to school when I doubted that I could really do it.  I'm doing it and I think I'm doing it well!