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, administration, coworkers, and people I know, love, and respect to see me do when I’m at work? What would I want my nursing reality show to exemplify about not only myself but about my profession?
This post is composed of tweets by some of the amazing nurses and nursing students in which I interact with on Twitter, or as I lovingly call them; Nurse Eye Rollers, and their response to the question:
If you were on a reality show.. what moment in your nursing career would you want the world to see? #nursingreality
Grab some tissues because they’re going to tug on your nursey heart strings..
@ashleycurlll When the patient woke up from a full blown code blue, sat up, and said “what did I do to deserve this party?”
@nursewallace1 How I support the family who have just had the worst news imaginable. Never gets easier
@thebeachynurse LEO shot and killed. A nurse having to treat and care for the shooter, being a caring professional no matter how angry.
@iceice__baby the 1st time I did chest compressions.. I remember being so scared but very happy after we found out he was stable in the ICU and being there for the family after the code.. Being there for them and trying to give comfort during a scary time
@JarrettLautier feeling good after giving an enema to a patient who has been locked up for days.
@NurseEyeRoll When the new father who stroked out came back 2 months later and walked onto our unit
@Racey_RN Anytime I’ve walked in a room & my pt says they’re so glad to see you & fam says they know their loved one is in good hands.
@Racey_RN Taking care of any comfort care pt. And being there for the family as their loved one passes, whether it’s tissues or a hug.
@jillianpuert the courage, bravery of a man w cancer and kids who was going home to get married to his gf of 20 yrs. he was in incredible pain. he got married that night. Died in his sleep
@AmandaNelson_RN maybe the time a family member went in2 pt bathroom started taking a dump door wide open asking me if pt could have ice chips. all I keep thinking when I go back to the nurses station ‘you just cant make this s*** up.’
@K_Ridge_@AmandaNelson_RN I had the same thing happen to me!! Pants around ankles pooping like it was normal. I said said thing @ station.
@NurseEyeRoll When I prayed over my patient and his wife getting rushed to the OR because their pastor couldn’t get to the bedside in time
@NurseEyeRoll When we got the new mother to the ICU just before she got septic
@Racey_RN My first (expected)pt death. Another RN had to call his family, I was such a mess. Cried half the shift.
@Katerinapie when you follow your gut instinct on a sick patient, act quickly and avoid a resus call
@NurseEyeRoll when my night RN pushed and pushed to get the patient to the OR ASAP and saved him from herniating
@lovewa02 The one thing keeping my NICU baby from crying was humming Jesus Loves Me. These tweets remind me why I’m excited to graduate
@NurseEyeRoll When I got my patient who had 2 months to live a regular diet instead of a cardiac diet so he could have his whole milk
@NurseEyeRoll when my patient told me I was meant to be a nurse after I busted my butt to get her home
@NurseEyeRoll when we coded a lady, who woke up and said “where’d you guys come from?!” and threw up on me
@ashleycurlll when my name was individually mentioned in the comments section of the press-ganey. Best feeling ever!!!!
@TheIdiotSlapper I have a shout out to the nurse who sat at my son’s bedside with me on her day off just because she thought I needed company.
@2010Kristine When my patient ask me to pray with them because they are worried about another family member.
@NurseEyeRoll when my pts teenage kids brought us a card that said “thanks for saving my father’s life” and I lost it (emotionally, not the card!)
@ashleycurlll When my pts family finally arrived, she closed her eyes & a single tear dripped from her eye as she passed. It was beautiful.
@rachcarnell when my patient grabbed my hand and said thank you for taking care of me for the first time
@udntevensayhi my very first IV start on a pt who was handcuffed to an ER stretcher… Guess he didn’t have much of a choice!
@2010Kristine When a patient’s brother died and sat with her while she cried on my shoulder.
@NurseEyeRoll when I got flowers sent to the floor by a former patient and all it said was “I miss you”
@carlson_brena when a cancer pt asked 4 me 2 stay @ bedside cause he didn’t want 2 die alone. I stayed at his bedside off clock until he passed
@2010Kristine Being in the room with the family that I was close to as a patient took her last breath and comforting them
@rachcarnell giving my combative patient a shot while they were asleep
@NurseEyeRoll when I got to take care of a patient who had been through the Holocaust
@NurseEyeRoll When I was with my patient who had to have her leg amputated who crochet me an angel
@NurseEyeRoll When one of the toughest docs tells your charge nurse that you’re a pretty good nurse
@kcleigh123 when ever we have a code white for violent patient- it’s always a s*** show
@NurseEyeRoll When I got to be there for my HIV pt + his partner b/c their fam refused to come for his open heart
@_T_rav having 1 of the toughest surgeons tell you you did a great job caring for their extremely critical patient the previous night
@NurseEyeRoll When I took the wedding band off of my dying pt’s edematous hand and gave it to his wife
@Alexce93 when an 86 year old patient realises it’s my last day and goes to the centre of time in the rain to buy me a present #worthit
@strwbrywine when the doc who yelled at me two days before told me I really was a good nurse.
@_T_rav when your patients get excited you’re back the next night because they enjoy your care and are confident in your skills
@_T_rav the first time a patients family told said I made the ICU experience less frightening and that I was a blessings to them
@NurseEyeRoll When the wife of the young patient found out he was dying, started sobbing, and wouldn’t let go of me
@NurseEyeRoll When my pts son who’s a doc brought expensive pizza in for us bc he knew how to win the RNs over #smartman
@C6751T When I held the hand of a dying man as he passed. His family couldn’t get to him in time.
@C6751T Patients husband sent me a letter, ‘before she died she wanted me to tell you what a wonderful nurse you are, thank you’
@montanawoman56 none, they are too personal. To be with someone as they pierce the veil of death cannot be shown, only felt.
@NurseEyeRoll When I got the therapy dogs to come see my patient and it made her day!
@Racey_RN Taking care of any comfort care pt. And being there for the family as their loved one passes, whether it’s tissues or a hug.
@dann_yell_lee when my newly amputee pt tx from bed to chair & said “omg I just did that! kept crying& said “Thank u so much 4 believing in me”
@NurseEyeRoll When my stroke patient learned how to use a spoon again
@K_Ridge 16 hour shift where I use bathroom once & eat standing up with 5 busy post ops each with their own problems
@GlamNurseRN When my hospice patient breathing 3 a minute started breathing 18, walking & talking on 25 mg/morphine an hour
@NurseEyeRoll Family decides to let pt die peacefully, he rallies and is annoying the nurses on the floor when I come back 2 days later
@RNSchoolProbs when I had a baby that was 94 degrees on my 1st assess. Warmed her up & she went from blue to pink!
@NurseEyeRoll When my pts family brought us #dunkindonuts even though they were completely broke because they wanted to thank you
@NurseEyeRoll When I read in the chart “scrotum the size of a soccer ball” + order for scrotal elevation
@NurseEyeRoll When my tech who is a hair stylist did one of our long term pts hair and nails on her day off
@nursingnugent when the head of psych told me that I could have a job working for him because violent pts are always calm when I’m there.
@kabbey10 when our hypothermia pt who had no brain activity for 10 days woke up and started following commands. And the husband cried.
@Katerinapie the actual care & love it takes to look after a dying patient – mouth cares, turns, pain relief, their family.
@Bear_Bad_Man Flew a patient to Berlin in a tiny jet; 3 mins after lift-off Mum went behind the curtain & took a massive, stinky dump
@LizH1974 when a patient who has been in pain and they say “thank you for taking the pain away”
@Th0rped0 when SNs seek you out on the floor because you take the time to teach them and always have something cool to do.
@thatoneRN a dying pt asking me to go to their funeral. 6 weeks later I kept my promise, I’ll never forget her. Ever. ♥
Thank you so much to each and every person that responded. I am humbled, inspired, and encouraged by all of you. And thank you for making me cry three times in 24 hours! If you have your own #nursingreality you’d like to share, tweet me or comment below so we can add you to our running list! And I would love, love to hear it. Stay tuned for Part II..