How do you do it?
Posted 04-18-2008 at 12:58 PM by Keza
The last time I posted about my job I said I would write something more positive.
I've been giving this much thought since there's not a lot that's positive about being nurse. I take care of people who are sick, have serious illnesses or injuries and who sometimes die. How can that make you feel good about the work you do?
I get asked the question 'how do you do it?' by patients and family members alike. It's quite a common question really, not a week goes by without me being asked how I cope with being a nurse.
I usually tell them a story about a particular patient. This is along the lines of being spiritual, which I believe in pretty strongly, that a spiritual base a) promotes the healing process and b) as a caregiver you have to have faith in something. I used to care for a patient who would get admitted to our floor about once every 2-3 months. I got to know her family, her daughter and her granddaughter. They are very loving family and helped care for my patient. One day after another admission she was sitting by the window looking outside at the water. I was making my morning rounds and came in to see if she needed anything. It was a calm day, the water was breathlessly still. She looked at something hanging on the wall to my left, I glanced in the same direction and there was a simple msg one of her family members had hung up for her among the pictures of grandkids and great grandkids, it said 'Be Still, and Let God,' and then we looked at one another, and then she turned her face to the still water once again and pointed her hand saying, 'that's god.'
There's quite a few things that help me do what I do and actually enjoy my job. One is I went to a very good nursing school imo. The instructors, the content, the teaching , it prepared me for the methodology required for a novice to start out in a really challenging profession. The one thing they can't give you in school is experience, it just takes time. Gaining experience and learning from mistake is another key factor in nursing. I get those gut instincts about patients now...something is not right, I have to find out what's wrong, get it fixed, call the doctor, whatever it is I have to make sure I keep this patient safe. (goes along the lines of tanking does it not? keep the party/raid safe).
There is little room for error in my profession. If you make a mistake it could hurt/kill a patient. That's quite a lot of pressure and responsibility. As students, during our critical care curriculum we asked the instructor...but what if we make a mistake? Her response did not really answer this question. Her response was...if you continue to think 'what if I make a mistake?' then you are not doing what's right for your patient, your focus is internal and it should always be about what's right for your patient. It's not about you, it's not about the doctor or whoever else is screwing up your day, it's about what your patient needs.' This has forever stuck in my head, this one piece of advice sums it all up, 'what does my patient need to get better?' Sometimes it is something as simple as taking the time to listen to their complaints, getting them something else to eat, a drink of water, and sometimes it is something more serious, like getting them into the critical care unit because they need more intensive care or getting them a hospice consult so they can die more comfortably and with diginity.
I have to say my coworkers are one in a million. They are some awesome backup when shit hits the fan. When a patient heads south they are at your side getting whatever you need to save a life. The other side of nursing is the 'dark humor.' I don't talk about my job that much when I play WoW because the stories I relate don't go over that well. In fact I think I make a few people sick to their stomach in officer chat last night. That and I had a conversation with my gm, he said he hadn't had a good day, to which I replied...yeah I had a patient going through alcohol withdrawal and was trying to go into atrial-fibrillation. He's like...oh, guess my day wasn't as bad as yours. I'm like...well that's why I'm here to remind you how mundane and monotonous your work is (joking of course). This morning I sent him mail telling him to have a better day today.
Sometimes when a patient asks how I do my job I just reply 'I get payed well.' Humor is the best medicine.
I've been giving this much thought since there's not a lot that's positive about being nurse. I take care of people who are sick, have serious illnesses or injuries and who sometimes die. How can that make you feel good about the work you do?
I get asked the question 'how do you do it?' by patients and family members alike. It's quite a common question really, not a week goes by without me being asked how I cope with being a nurse.
I usually tell them a story about a particular patient. This is along the lines of being spiritual, which I believe in pretty strongly, that a spiritual base a) promotes the healing process and b) as a caregiver you have to have faith in something. I used to care for a patient who would get admitted to our floor about once every 2-3 months. I got to know her family, her daughter and her granddaughter. They are very loving family and helped care for my patient. One day after another admission she was sitting by the window looking outside at the water. I was making my morning rounds and came in to see if she needed anything. It was a calm day, the water was breathlessly still. She looked at something hanging on the wall to my left, I glanced in the same direction and there was a simple msg one of her family members had hung up for her among the pictures of grandkids and great grandkids, it said 'Be Still, and Let God,' and then we looked at one another, and then she turned her face to the still water once again and pointed her hand saying, 'that's god.'
There's quite a few things that help me do what I do and actually enjoy my job. One is I went to a very good nursing school imo. The instructors, the content, the teaching , it prepared me for the methodology required for a novice to start out in a really challenging profession. The one thing they can't give you in school is experience, it just takes time. Gaining experience and learning from mistake is another key factor in nursing. I get those gut instincts about patients now...something is not right, I have to find out what's wrong, get it fixed, call the doctor, whatever it is I have to make sure I keep this patient safe. (goes along the lines of tanking does it not? keep the party/raid safe).
There is little room for error in my profession. If you make a mistake it could hurt/kill a patient. That's quite a lot of pressure and responsibility. As students, during our critical care curriculum we asked the instructor...but what if we make a mistake? Her response did not really answer this question. Her response was...if you continue to think 'what if I make a mistake?' then you are not doing what's right for your patient, your focus is internal and it should always be about what's right for your patient. It's not about you, it's not about the doctor or whoever else is screwing up your day, it's about what your patient needs.' This has forever stuck in my head, this one piece of advice sums it all up, 'what does my patient need to get better?' Sometimes it is something as simple as taking the time to listen to their complaints, getting them something else to eat, a drink of water, and sometimes it is something more serious, like getting them into the critical care unit because they need more intensive care or getting them a hospice consult so they can die more comfortably and with diginity.
I have to say my coworkers are one in a million. They are some awesome backup when shit hits the fan. When a patient heads south they are at your side getting whatever you need to save a life. The other side of nursing is the 'dark humor.' I don't talk about my job that much when I play WoW because the stories I relate don't go over that well. In fact I think I make a few people sick to their stomach in officer chat last night. That and I had a conversation with my gm, he said he hadn't had a good day, to which I replied...yeah I had a patient going through alcohol withdrawal and was trying to go into atrial-fibrillation. He's like...oh, guess my day wasn't as bad as yours. I'm like...well that's why I'm here to remind you how mundane and monotonous your work is (joking of course). This morning I sent him mail telling him to have a better day today.
Sometimes when a patient asks how I do my job I just reply 'I get payed well.' Humor is the best medicine.
Total Comments 5
Comments
 |  Even if she gets pissed at me sometimes, I cannot express how fortunate I am to have Keza as a guildie. |
Posted 04-18-2008 at 01:37 PM by Horacio  |
| | I applaud you, like all health care professionals who take their task seriously. Our society would not be "advanced" without you, and, on a personal level, without dedicated "RL healz," I would have grown up as an orphan. I hold dedicated nurses and doctors in the highest of regards. My hope is for your patients to enrich your life as much you do theirs, as in the story you just told. I'd like to share two of my favorite quotes with you, because I think you can identify with them: "The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind." "For all things, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens." The time mortals have on this earth is valuable because it is limited. But knowing that is different from dealing with illness and death everyday; thank you again. I do not know you personally, but I can tell you that, if you empathize with people enough to be troubled by their troubles, then there are people who appreciate you. |
Posted 04-18-2008 at 06:03 PM by Pasucon  |
| |  Horacio ever has kind words to say about me and I thank you. And thank you Pasucon for the words of inspiration, it's been a while since I've read some of the things people have given me to read to find guidance for the human soul. Yeah, I take my job quite seriously. It gives me a unique perspective in that I don't sweat the small stuff too much. Meaningful experiences with patients really touch me as a human being, as a mom, as a wife, as a friend. These brave patients remind me to be humble and thankful for what I have in life: a wonderful husband, a great kid, a fantastic support system. I'm grateful to know the folks I play with in WoW, they can take away the worries of the day in a heartbeat, by saying hello, by telling a joke, sending a silly comment, or just goofing off for the night. I'm reminded of what Ciderhelm spoke about in his 'mechanization' podcast, about meeting people from all walks of life in this game, that it's not a gamers' game (not to say there's anything wrong with gamers), and how true that statement is, and how unparalleled my whole WoW experience has been compared to anything else I've done in my life. I find it odd at times having memories of a nonexistent universe, but none the less enjoy recalling the events that made me laugh or smile. |
| Posted 04-19-2008 at 09:12 AM by Keza |
| | When something is shared with millions of people, its very nature is changed. WoW is a game, but at the same time, it isn't. I relate WoW to sporting events, summer blockbusters, and major concerts. Sure the Super Bowl is a football game, but there are so many people who watch it that it takes on millions of different shades of meaning. I remember watching the Super Bowl with my dad as a kid, and it means a lot to me. But it could have just as easily been a run through the Wailing Caverns, you know? The massive social aspect really changes things. The form may be that of a game, but the function is that of a thread, binding society (albeit in a very 21st century way  )It is significant. I've met people from places I'd never even heard of before, and seen the world from perspectives I couldn't have imagined... all thanks to a stupid game! Today, it may still feel odd to us that we can have good memories of a world that doesn't even exist, but I wonder what future generations will think? (sorry, I'm a behavioral scientist by training, I can't help it  ) |
| Posted 04-20-2008 at 07:17 AM by Pasucon |
| | At first, when just reading a couple lines I got the impression this blog entry was going in a negative direction, probably written by someone who didn't really like their work (a pet peeve of mine). Clearly, Keza is not that type of person. Compassion & empathy are very important because one day we will be those waited on. As Shakespeare believed, we will all one day become infantile in nature, just as we were born. I know from personal experience what it's like taking care of the elderly as I've done it for my grandparents since I was a teenager. In fact, my grandmother had been battling cancer & strokes for several years. After she started having episodes resembling dementia we had no choice, but to move her to a rest home a couple miles away. Many of the aids who work in the rest home have bad attitudes, are lazy, and just don't care -- they're only there for a check. Many will not even look or acknowledge you if you're in the room. I wanted to express my gratitude for one who truly cares about making a difference & recognizes that talk is cheap. Thank you, I only hope to have someone as thoughtful as you when my time comes. Keep the faith. |
| Posted 04-20-2008 at 09:04 PM by Arideni |
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