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Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 7/3/08
I do my best thinking in the shower. I should probably take more. Yesterday I was thinking about a friend who got married over the weekend and the new season of life she's entered. New nurse, new bride, new stress.
Here's the thing about seasons. They come and they go. That's important to remember. Especially the going part. Some [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 6/4/08
So I have a question for you. When is the right time to quit your job? When do you just take a deep breath and start the process of moving on?
I was never one of those people who kept one eye on the want ads. Maybe you're one of those who do. I've always been content with where I am; I'm not fond [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 5/22/08
I have a friend who's afraid to fly. It takes a Xanax and a glass of wine as soon as the drink cart starts moving to get her through a flight. She learned a long time ago that it was worth the anxiety to get to travel to warm, sandy places with her husband.
We all have things that freak us out a little. [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 5/7/08
Nurse Appreciation Week--what exactly does that mean?
Do you feel more appreciated this week than all the others? Does your employer do something special that makes you feel like all the hard work is worth it? Do your patients bend over backwards to give you their thanks? While it's nice to have a week that's all our own, if we're counting on others to make [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 5/1/08
My husband got back a couple weeks ago from a 5-day fly fishing adventure in Montana. For him, this is as close to heaven as this earth offers. Standing in a cold mountain stream. Watching the snow falling. Catching Brook Trout (I have no idea what he actually catches, but that's the only fish name I could think of). Letting [...]
Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 4/24/08
One of my early posts was about setting boundaries with those who are all too happy to cross them. This go around I'm taking a different slant.
I'm here to admit I haven't done a very good job at setting my own boundaries. I'm in the middle of a situation that has made me exhausted, crabby, and out of clean underwear. I've allowed myself to [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 4/10/08
Yesterday the doctor I work for was fuming. He was ticked that I messed up his schedule by adding a patient. After he snipped at me, he stormed off to see the patient, who had a bad leg infection.
The patient evaluation softened the doctor's mood. The guy obviously needed to be seen--and we finished the day right on time. Apologetic and sheepish, the doc seemed to [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 3/20/08
My first nursing job was as a camp nurse the summer I graduated. It seemed like a great way to spend my last free summer while studying for boards. Lots of sun, water, and friends. A week or so after boards (the whole country took a two-day written test on the same days) was the first time I considered quitting nursing. [...]
Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 3/13/08
I grew up in this town. I go to church here. I work here. My kids go to school here. My extended family lives here. I am well connected. These facts are all wonderful to me most of the time. It does occasionally cause me some difficulties, though. I work at a doctor's office that lots of [...]
Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 3/4/08
Why did you become a nurse? Why would you recommend the profession to someone else? Was the schooling harder than the actual job?
We've had lots of posts from people thinking about getting into the nursing profession, but uncertain about whether it's really for them or not. They wonder if they're too old. Or smart enough. Or have a strong [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 2/14/08
I read a blog entry this week from a friend whose son is having a bone marrow transplant today. I could fill a book with all the things I've learned from this family, but I'll just share one thing with you today. This particular entry was about how you can't rush a 10-year-old who doesn't want to do something. Especially if he [...]
Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 1/24/08
My friend's dad had a triple bypass after a heart attack over the weekend.
I saw through her eyes how overwhelming, traumatic and surreal a health crisis can be. I've also seen how said crisis can be transformed by a caring medical staff. My friend's world revolves around taking care of her family, working on her degree, church and school involvement, and writing. Never [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 1/17/09
Everyone wants to be treated with respect; nurses are no different. But we often exhibit behavior that undermines our professionalism. Over the years, I've developed a list of the 5 things that scream, "I am not a professional!"
1. Sharing too much of your own story. I've done this several times. Once when I was assisting my doc with a Pap smear, the patient mentioned [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 1/8/08
I had a birthday a few days ago. My children tell me I'm old. So does my drivers license.
They say that with age comes wisdom. I think they're right, but not because you naturally get smarter. You just have more opportunities to hang out with smart people. I encountered one of those smart people at a conference 5 years ago. [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 1/1/08
In 2008 I will:
Be more patient with difficult patients. Be more patient with difficult families. Be more patient with myself. Be more assertive with difficult doctors. Be less difficult to work with. Be more assertive with anyone who keeps me from giving my patients the best possible care. Be more accepting of working the crummy shifts. Be more accepting of being the "new nurse". Stop spending more than I have so I don't [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 12/20/07
Christmas 1983. I was finishing orientation at my first hospital job and had to spend two weeks working pm's before going on permanent nights. I can't say I was looking forward to giving up every evening over the holidays as the rest of the world partied.
On one of my first evenings, a teenager, a senior in high school, was admitted after a sledding [...] Reality Unscripted
Dearest Friends and Family,
I thought I'd take this opportunity to catch you up on what my life looked like in 2007. January through May was spent finishing up Nursing School. Clinicals, papers, tests, studying and looking forward to the day I would finally start my new career and the freedom that comes with a paycheck. I couldn't wait for the next step. May through July [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 11/27/07
I was sitting with my daughter at Mayo Clinic, a large medical complex in Rochester, Minnesota, and considered to be one of the leading medical research institutions in North America. It's the place to be if you've exhausted all other options.
While waiting for our next appointment, we grabbed lunch at a cafe. A friend back home had told me that a mutual acquaintance would [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 11/20/07
When I was a little girl, I always was attracted to the "injury of the day" on the playground. The more traumatic, the better. It didn't have to be bloody, it just had to be dramatic. I was literally drawn to the banged-up child, crying on the blacktop. I couldn't stay away.
Even as a child, I had the heart of a [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 11/13/07
I spent the better part of this afternoon helping my 9-year-old clean her room.
The term "pig sty" is fitting. She has avoided the task for weeks because it was simply overwhelming. I would have yelled more were I able to walk through the garage or guest room. The apple did not fall far from the disorganized tree. Throughout the day, Kira kept saying, "This is so [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 11/06/07
It was my mom's birthday yesterday. She said I gave her the best present she's ever gotten: me for a day.
We hung out in her apartment organizing old family pictures, reminiscing about people and places in our past. We met my brother for lunch and did some more "Do you remember when...?" Funny thing is, my mother, who has Alzheimer's, can't remember most things. Yet [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 10/30/07
In the last blog we established that if you're in a job you hate, you need to find another one. If you hate your job, how effective a nurse can you really be? That's the question I want to take a look at now.
Contrary to what my last entry may have sounded like, I believe in being a change agent for our profession. [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana RN, 10/25/07
Nurses are the most intelligent and compassionate people in the world. Nursing is the most fulfilling and rewarding profession in the world.
Why, then, is there so much bitching going on? We're a bunch of nice people in the world’s greatest profession, yet whining often takes a prominent role in our conversations. There may be a couple things going on. One is that we, [...] Reality Unscripted
I have a theory about nurses. Actually, I have several, but this is one of my favorites.
I believe there are two types of nurses. The first group of nurses are the "professionals". These are the men and women with lots of letters after their name, a wallet full of membership cards, and a mailbox overflowing with professional journals. They are on numerous committees and are [...] Reality Unscripted
Jana, Mrs. Goetz, Mom. These are some of the titles I answer to everyday. The other one I hear on a regular basis is Nurse Jana. Not by the people I see at my nursing job, but by the people I hang with in my everyday life.
I'm the go-to-gal. If someone's kid just fell off the play-set, if their husband has a deep cough and [...] Reality Unscripted
It comes in all shapes and sizes. It comes when things are going well or when we're already struggling. It comes when we're young and when we're old. It comes. Then it comes again.
Stress is universal, but have you noticed how differently we all handle it? Headaches, stomach aches, even humor. This is on my mind because of the [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
Life is not static. For anyone. The good does not last forever. Neither does the bad. Neither does the status quo. Some events, like college, marriage, moves, are anticipated and planned for. Others are not. Just ask one of your patients.
My guess is you have had contact with someone in the last couple of days whose world has been turned upside down by an accident, [...] Reality Unscripted
By Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor, RealityRN
My brother-in-law is not a fan of RealityRN. I'd feel bad about that if he were a plumber or banker or especially a nurse. Instead, his dislike helps me know we're right on track. He's a doctor.
He doesn't like the cartoons. He doesn't see the humor. He doesn't like the comments about doctors making mistakes or being mean to nurses. I guess he thinks we're [...] Reality Unscripted
You've just finished your fourth twelve-hour shift. You're exhausted. You're looking forward to a few days off. All you can think about is sleep. After a day of unconsciousness, you'll try to catch up on laundry, errands, and friends. The hours off already feel too short.
That's when you see her. Your supervisor is headed your direction. She has that "I need a favor" look in her [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
One of my favorite shows is Grey's Anatomy. I'm not sure if I watch it because of the medical stuff or because of the relational turmoil. Either way, I'm hooked. I tune in to see if Izzie and George are going to end up together or if he's gonna stick it out with his new wife, Callie. I want to know if Derek and Meredith [...]
Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor
Ever have a Most Embarrassing Moment (MEM) in your role as "Nurse: Healer of All Things"?
My problem is narrowing the possibilities to only one. The one that makes me laugh the most (and turn red at the same time) is one I can share only with other nurses. No one else really sees the humor in it. I was (newly) working at a Family Practice office with [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
Why, as caregivers, do we often assume we are the only ones doing the caring, and the rest of the medical staff shows up only to collect a paycheck?
We nurses often see ourselves as the only patient's advocate and turn advocacy into an "us vs. them" tug-of-war. What happened to the team approach to patient care? Don't think it's only "them" that are responsible for [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
I was a Family Practice nurse for a doctor just out of residency. She was young and sweet (just like me), still had some learning to do (okay, just like me). We had three exam rooms, and her office was in one of the hallways, and my work area was in another part of the small building.
When the doc would finish with a [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
Is it your job to be the moral conscience of your floor/unit/clinic?
A nurse recently wrote, “I caught a co-nurse slipping drugs into pocket for personal use. What should I do? I prefer the grey answer of “it depends.” If he or she is taking Lipitor, Zyrtec, or a Z pak, I would let it go. If, however, they’re taking narcotics, that’s a different story. [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
I’m not sure you can make nights fit with the rest of your life.
“I love the idea of working nights—the pace is great,” writes a recent grad. “But it’s wreaking havoc on my personal life. Working three 12-hour nights and then having four days off sounds great. In reality, I’m always exhausted. How do I make nights fit in with the rest of [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
It takes time to look like you have it all together.
“I’m frustrated as I watch the more seasoned nurses find time to take breaks and read magazines,” writes a new nurse, “while I can’t even find time to take a bathroom break. They appear to have it all together, but I never seem to get all my charts and reports updated before the next [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
There may be times when we need to take a turn as the patient – and let somebody help us.
A new nurse recently wrote, “I’ve been having anxiety attacks. I’m wondering if I’ll make it another week—let alone another day—in my job. My patient load is overwhelming. I can’t, in good conscience, handle the number of patients I’m charged with. I’m [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
So much of whether you like your job connects back to your relationships with colleagues at work.
A new nurse recently wrote, "I tend to spend a lot of time addressing patients’ emotional needs prior to their operations (calming them, answering questions, or just being with them during the transition). I find other nurses resent me for not spending more time prepping in the operating [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
Just the other day, a surgical nurse, nine months out of nursing school, wrote me,
"Not long ago, after a difficult surgery in which the patient died, the surgeon started swearing at me, as if it were my fault. I know this sounds crazy, but he kicked me. Yep, with his foot. I hesitate to report him. What should I do?" Now, in my 24 years of [...] Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
So he went to medical school, and you didn't. Plus, you are fresh out of nursing school. So who are you to question a doc?
Here's a common dilemma that many new nurses face: "I was put in a compromising situation last week. A young doctor gave me an order that I didn’t question—I just ran with it. After thinking more about his order, [...] |
