Just like I’ve done one hundred times before, I recently held a young patient’s hand while we withdrew life support and they passed away. We have to stay in the rooms throughout the passing in order to administer the pain medication and anti-anxiety medication, and to ensure they are comfortable and calm in their final […]
patient stories
I’ll Never Forget Your Room Number or Your Pain
I don’t know what else to do. Here you are, lying in that hospital bed that you’ve been sitting in for five days now, totally aware of what is going on but unable to tell anyone what you’re thinking. You can’t move your right arm or leg. You can’t swallow so you cough on your […]
An Ode to My Steering Wheel
Many things are synonymous with nursing… stethoscopes, nursing caps and pins, a solid pair of Danskos…but one of nursing’s unsung hero’s is our steering wheel. A day at work that has me on the verge of tears all day has me yearning for that moment when I can stumble to my car, close the door, […]
I Wish I Could Cry With You, But I Can’t
This post contains affiliate links Author’s note: I believe many people misunderstood what I meant by I can’t cry with you. I think many assumed that I was trying to communicate that I am not allowed to cry, rather than I emotionally cannot handle your pain right now and therefore must distance myself. Please check out my follow-up […]
Something You’re Dying to Talk About
Being a critical care nurse, I’ve witnessed quite a few people pass away. I’ve assisted in taking people off of the ventilator to allow them to pass naturally. I’ve cared for patients that are donating their organs. I’ve been there for people when they take their last breath because their loved ones could not bear […]
Hilarious Patient Quotes from Direct Care Workers
Just ask any doctor, nurse, CNA, EMT, paramedic, PA, or NP for their most hilarious patient quotes and a wonderful conversation will ensue. Here are some of my favorites from my Facebook page and Twitter. (Names were removed in the spirit of the most notorious animal in the world, the HIPAA-potamus. Abbreviations were written out for the […]
Guest Blog Post: A Wedding in Intensive Care
A few days ago, a Twitter bud of mine, @Terimedwards tweeted: Y’all. We had a wedding in the ICU so a man could see his grandson get married before he dies. #beautiful @NurseEyeRoll And this immediately made me emotional. And immediately made me want her to tell us the story! Teri was gracious enough to […]
A Nurse’s Confession: Sometimes I Hate My Job
But not in the way you’d think. It’s not the hours or the pay or the poops. It’s how keenly and constantly aware I am of our precious and fragile lives. Today while I was driving, I came up behind a car with an “organ donors save lives” bumper sticker and I immediately thought, that […]
Our Nursing Reality – Part II
Back in November, I posed a question to my nursey Twitter buds: If you were on a reality show.. what moment in your nursing career would you want the world to see? #nursingreality The response was jaw dropping. Every single tweet I read moved me to tears… either from laughing so hard or being so […]
Our Nursing Reality – Part I
When I was writing my last post about MTV’s Scrubbing In, I started to think about my nursing career and if I had the opportunity to show the world what I do as a nurse, what moments I would want them to see. What would I want my patients and their families, employer, prospective employers, […]