I Couldn't Have Put it Better Myself

If you've ever wondered what exactly I do at work, you should read this article.

It is the best written, most accurate description of ICU nursing that I have ever read (minus a lot of the gory details). Some of the quotes that really rang true for me, sending chill bumps throughout my body:

"My war with the clock began the first week." (Anyone who knows me will probably also realize that this quote applies to my everyday life, not just work.)

"...I operated in a state of continuous low-grade panic, punctuated by spikes of abject terror." (This exactly describes how I felt as a new-grad nurse.)

"There could be no skimping, no coasting through a shift because of a headache or trouble at home. For 12 hours, I belonged to people whose survival was at stake."

"That's what nurses do. They deal with the unexpected and set priorities."

"My patients lay clean, well-bandaged, and stable, tucked under smooth white sheets amid the rhythmic click, beep, and whoosh of ICU equipment." (What I strive for by the end of every shift.)



P.S. And just for the record, I have never had to give hourly enemas. If I had a patient with this order, I would adamently refuse. That would be cruel and unusual punishment for both the patient and the nurse. Any doctor that would write that order should be shot!