Remember When

We had a few rare moments last night at work to stroll down memory lane.

We remembered when nursing meant something more to us. Evening back rubs with warm lotion for our patients was better than a sleeping pill.

Patients checking in the night before their surgery so we could do pre op teaching and do that dreaded enema and bowel prep under our watchful eye and aide. We taught you to deep breath and cough and told you what to expect when you got out of surgery.

You knew that your primary care Dr. would be there for you in the hospital. You felt safe and secure because your Dr. knew you and your needs. Now you are placed under the care of a stranger, however competent he or she may be.

Remember when you got one bill? I know this is a stretch for some of you younger ones. Now there is confusion over who got paid by the insurance company and who do you owe.

The paper work is overwhelming to say the least. Sign here to say you understand that there is no smoking on this campus. Okay. Sign here to say you understand that you will be responsible for anything your insurance does not cover. Duhhhhh! Sign here to say you understand that you will be receiving a separate bill from radiology and lab. Sign, sign, sign.

I wish for simplicity for us and our patients. I wish for comfort and caring for our patients. I wish for less stressed nurses and an atmosphere of kindness and love. I wish for no more added paperwork. Let's do some take aways for a change.

Remember when we loved what we did?

For the sake of a clean shower door.

I am always interested in knowing how people hurt themselves. Maybe so I can be more careful in life and avoid those same mistakes.

This one is priceless.

A man wants to have a clear shower door instead of an opaque one. His wife agrees if the husband agrees to squeegee the door after he showers.

The man agrees and the door is installed. The wife discovers his trick. He always showers first leaving her to squeegee the door after her shower.

One day he was headed to the shower and she decided to beat him to it. She fell and broke her ankle.

Now she won't be taking showers for awhile with her cast on so guess who gets to squeegee the shower door?

She smiles when she hears the squeegee sound now I bet.

Are they listening?

I've been working some overtime lately on purpose. ER has been slower than usual. I have had more time to actually spend at the bedside with my patients. I really enjoy that.

I talked with a German lady and found myself mesmerized by her accent. She told me stories of her travels and compared things with living in Germany.

One thing she talked most about was getting around in the different cities. In Germany, you don't really need a car. You just get on a bus and go anywhere you want.

Freedom means going where you want without having to drive there.

This lady was very sick when she came in. And much better when we had our conversation. I saw her color get healthier and her eyes brighten as she told me stories of her travels. This is my favorite kind of nursing. The human kind.

Listening is cheep medicine.