A Labor Day Shout-Out to Nurses
Posted by realityrounds on September 7, 2009
Happy Labor Day to all my awesome nurse peers. Even those who have to work on Labor Day (like your’s truly). Labor Day is about celebrating the worker, and no one works harder than nurses. Need proof of how hard we work? Here ya go:
- Working 11pm to 7am and then high tailing it back to work at 3pm for a 16 hour (3pm to 7am) shift.
- Working an entire 8 hour shift without the benefit of a potty or food break.
- Staying over your shift to deliver the baby you have been helping to labor all day.
- Working all holidays and weekends while your friends and family are celebrating or relaxing without you.
- Varicose veins.
- Orthopedic shoes.
- Support hose.
- Addictions to caffeine
- Staying over your shift to ease the end of life of your patient you have known for months.
- Coming in on your day off to bring all your old baby clothes to the needy family you are caring for on Pediatrics.
- Answering the phone and coming in to work, even though your caller-ID outed your hospital.
- Coming in to work at 2am four days before your wedding due to a frantic call from the night charge nurse.
- Spending your break listening to the stories of your lonely, elderly patient.
- Touching those who others consider “untouchable.”
- Caring for patients whose diseases could kill you.
- Caring for patients who could kill you.
- Dealing with physical, emotional and psychological abuse on a daily basis.
- Caring for patients who have abused and killed others.
- Caring for other human beings in the their most vulnerably and intimate times.
*There are many more numerous examples of how nurses dedicate their lives to the work of healing others. What examples do you have?
Enjoy your Labor Day!
RR
pinky said
Reminds me of a question I asked an intern years ago. “Is she (the patient) contagious?” The woman was red all over and writhing in the bed. Clearly not able to put together a thought. Looked pretty scary. The intern came back with, “We don’t think so.” THINK! He does not THINK so. So that translates into, “I have no idea. I am just a 1st year intern. Give me a break. I don’t want to catch this either!” So I could look just like this poor woman in a week? Fortunately she got better and nobody caught what she had.
A Labor Day Shout-Out to Nurses | My Strong Medicine said
[...] Coming in to work at 2am four days before your wedding due to a frantic call from the night charge nurse. via realityrounds.com [...]
Jill said
You all are studs. Happy Labor Day. I’ve almost always been a paper-pusher in an office and I often found myself thinking about how easy I had it.
Thanks for doing what you do.
Ciarin said
Prolapsed bladder and/or frequent UTIs from holding your urine the enitre 12 hour shift cuz there’s just no time to go to the bathroom or pushing with patients…literally!
Sean said
Everybody loves your list! So many people on Twitter keep sharing it. You go girl!
Jill said
Hey, my mom was discharged on Labor Day from the hospital after a Friday surgery (she’s good) and the FIRST thing she came home and talked about?
Her nurses and the amazing care she received.
One even called her from home because she had said “see you tomorrow” and forgot that she had the day off.
Erin said
Great list, and yes, if anyone deserves to celebrate this holiday, it is all of you nurses out there who ensure our safety and health. Thanks for all you do.