I have been a nurse for over 20 years. Nursing wasn’t my first career, so I was able to bring life and work experiences with me. Past knowledge is invaluable, but this profession will still teach you life lessons no matter your experience or education.
Here are 20 such lessons:
- We are highly trained to discern and treat so many medical conditions with diagnostics, medications, diets, surgery, treatments and exercise but sometimes all a person really needs is a shower and a good night’s sleep.
- A nurse’s job is to facilitate you to your highest level of functioning. So many things are easier to do myself, the care is in encouragement of a patient doing the task on their own and achieving a sense of accomplishment themselves.
- Only four minutes late is still late when you have worked a 12-hour shift, every extra minute is an eternity and your co-workers will be annoyed at the delay in handover.
- Any food left in the staff room will be eaten. You can even clean out your own fridge and pantry, bring it to the staff room and it will be eaten. The laws of regular dining choices don’t apply here.
- To a nurse, all bodies look the same whether you are 20 or 90 years old. Patients don’t know this, so please treat them with discretion.
- You will cry with and for your patients due to their pain, sadness or injustices. This is not weakness; it means you are a human with empathy and emotions.
- Friends and family will always want to hear your work stories. Let’s face it, we often see some pretty unbelievable things over the course of a shift but remember to maintain confidentiality.
- Always work as if you are being watched; this is your ultimate check and balance for professional behaviour.
- Some nurses can behave like the hyenas in Lion King, and you will feel like Simba. This is a reflection on them, not you. This needs to be made more unacceptable in all areas of health care.
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We seem to have a new assessment form to fill out every second day. The most important of these are your nurses’ notes and medication administration record. All the rest can take a back seat.
- Night shifts never get easier.
- Patients want to be seen as a person and not a condition or disease. Talk about things with patients other than what brings them into contact with health care.
- You are not going to change family dynamics in a hospital visit. No matter the skill of social work involved, these are generally long-established patterns that are entrenched into relationships.
- You will spend a lot of time caring for families of your patient as well as the patient themselves. Families need clarification, explanations and want to participate.
- Never underestimate the value and knowledge of support staff. They are another set of eyes and ears that can enhance the care of patients if you are open to their input.
- Not everyone is going to find your jokes funny. I had made a joke about an advertisement nobody at the table had seen. It fell flat and I ended up looking like I had an unhealthy obsession with Ranch dressing.
- Laughter truly is the best medicine; it lightens up heavy situations and is very good for your body and outlook.
- Get sleep when you can. Your body and brain need the rest.
- Treat students well. Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and shouldn’t feel afraid to ask questions. The student today may be your co-worker or manager one day.
- Take vacations and treat yourself. Nursing is hard work. We need to care for ourselves first; like air travel, put on your oxygen mask before you help others.
Congratulations to all nurses as we celebrate Nursing Week. You are part of an amazing profession that grows and changes with the needs of patients. Embrace the challenges that come with this grand career we know as nursing!
Lisa Zunti, LPN
SEIU-West President