I thought it would be fun to see responses to this. What are the Top 3 things you love about nursing, and what are the Top 3 things that make you nuts? For me:

I love:

1. Conversations with patients. It is absolutely the best part of nursing for me. Just talking to people and learning about their lives and interests and perspective on things. Being an oncology nurse, I have learned so much from my patients just in casual conversation. It's the best.


2. Getting down and dirty. I can't help it. I love the technical stuff - packing wounds, changing dressings, starting IVs, giving baths - working with my hands. Remembering how important the nuances of touch are in patient care is easy to forget.


3. Learning from my nurse friends who are in other specialties! The stories! The knowledge! It's so awesome...


What makes me nuts:

1. Nurses who are perpetually cranky or have massive attitude. Gah! I want to poke my eyes out when I am working with people who are just plain rude. Just thinking about it irritates me :)


2. Doctors who think they know everything and don't have to listen to nurses. Do I even need to explain this...?


3. When all hell breaks loose 15 minutes before shift change. It never fails!!!

So that's all... What about you?

Stuff I Love--
NurseBridget are we twins. You think like me and even post like me. My residents have some very cool stories, and I eat them up like "chocolate with peanuts". I work in an LTC, I am an LPN... I love the hands on and holitiic approach to nursing. I live it and breathe it. and I would add another thing "WOUND CARE ROCKS!!!" When you see that Stage IV close, man o man there is nothing like it. and since I am a new nurse I pick everybodys brains. The women I work with don't make me look small when I ask a question. I get a different slant on stuff I know and then make my decisions accordingly.

CNA's practicing nursing and calling family members to complain that the nurse isn't takeing their advice.

Nurses and CNA's that treat their charges like children. these folks are my elders and deserve my respect. They have expierence of years where I have only been here on this Earth 51 years. Would you talk baby-talk to your own Grandmother. I know if I did I would still be looking for my teeth.

And lastly, Pets. The administration that plays favorites. can't and won't entertain that their pet is not as they concieve them to be.

Not all cna's are bad I am one that loves to learn.I love when my nurse respects my work and trust me to do my job.After 20 + years I know what it is.I also love Talking to the people.It is kind of hard on the night shift but occassionaly you have people who can't sleep and just want someone to talk to.I also love the mystery of medicine trying to figure out what is wrong by the symptoms,but I don't tell anyone that's my secret.But I love it if I'm right.My biggest peeve is when a patient is dying and the family fights over property at the bedside.We had to call the police one time it got so bad.

things I like: talking to the patients, especially the older ones-they have so much to say and are so interesting/ being able to help someone if only by saying a kind word or gentle touch/learning something new every day even if it's just how much I don't know things I don't like" not having enough time to spend with patients because there is so much paperwork to do/working at a place that forgets about the patients and is only concerned with cost management/working with sloppy or lazy nurses who leave too much stuff undone and don't care about the patients