a year of nursing

A year of nursing can hardly compare to what full time nurses actually do all the time, BUT it was very much real. I spent about half of that year on campus in the classroom studying, learning, doing practical’s and let’s not forget fooling around (actually a lot of fooling around.). I was in an amazing class. My peer’s definatly made class interesting with their live debates and feistiness. We had characters in our class. There was simply never a dull moment...and that’s how our lives should be. But for the time I was at hospital I can truly say that it’s changed my life for the better. I’ve learnt so many new things. Things textbooks would never have been able to teach me. I’ve had my faith restored, literally witnessed miracles, found out the true value of life and saw the difference between people living and people surviving.

There are definatly events that stand out as I think back. Things I gladly, as well as sadly share with people who often ask me what it was like being a nurse. I can honestly say that 2012 was the best year of my life (at least so far). I started in a neurology and geriatrics ward (for those of you who don’t know, geriatrics is a fancy medical term used for…old people). Most of the patients admitted had suffered strokes or heart attacks.my first day working at this amazing hospital started with all my family members calling me and wishing me luck as my official nursing journey began. My dear friend and partner in crime Yusra was always by my side every step of the way. Unfortunately we were separated and had to work in different wards (which is a good thing actually because the two of us together would’ve just caused havoc).

 

I started working at hospital on Friday the 13th. I kid you not. My 1^st day was all about orientation, showing us the ropes, getting familiar with patients and living the nurses’ life. After 5 hours my feet were killing me!!!!!! I’d never worked so hard in my life!! I had under estimated (like most people) what nursing was actually like. And then the thing everyone always asks and cringes...yep…my first bedpan. Apart from the fact that I was holding a metal container of well…waste, it actually wasn’t that bad. I mean it wasn’t the nicest thing in the world but hey, someone has to do it. Anyway…I was so sore and tired that I was not only ready to walk out the door buy Hell I was ready to walk out of nursing itself.

But the next day I was back! Aching feet and all, ready to take on a new day. The staff(which you learn to know plays an important role in any working environment) but the staff was amazing. Everyone was so helpful and the doctors (as cute as they were. And man were they sexy) were always so eager to educate us about any minor procedures they were busy with.  Working with patients was amazing times 20. Our mentors checked up on us daily, signing our prac books after completing a lesson. My very first patient was a young lad, yes lad…people still use that word, who’s name I’m not allowed to mention (stupid confidentiality clause agreement thing). Anyway he was on his bicycle when a car knocked him and wait for it…drove over his head!! Just imagine that. He was a vegetable. He could do absolutely nothing for himself except chew. Myself and my 4 first year colleugues with me in that ward grew quite fond of him. We gave him so much extra attention and used to take turns so that someone was always near him…talking to him. Eventually the Sister had to remind us that there were other patients as well. We found out that he had a serious drug problem and because he wasn’t getting any into his body, he was perspiring heavily. It really wasn’t a pretty sight. I now know what someone in rehab would look like. It was scary. The doctors assured us that what he was going through was very much normal.

My mentor was busy giving us a lesson using…let’s call him buddy …as the model of demonstration. He made a remark he probably shouldn’t have done around me. “Shame…I don’t think this one is going to make it...” enough to make my blood boil. I may have been out of line but I felt I needed to give him a piece of my mind. I approached him and told him that the patient could hear everything he was saying and that he should just let go of all the negativity. It was then that we decided to take buddy as our personal patient. A project I knew for a fact God would help us with. After a few days buddy started moving his fingers and one day he gasped and answered one of my questions after days of me talking to myself. This may sound silly now but while he was so desperately trying to form a sentence my colleagues and I screamed for each other to come to his room and we all shed a tear. It was super emotional for us. We couldn’t, in fact I couldn’t believe it. As days went by he improved dramatically. Pretty soon he was doing everything for himself. He surely proved people wrong and was soon a favorite in the ward. He was our miracle. For the weeks I worked in that ward I can honestly say I had learnt and felt like I accomplished so much already. Buddy was a vegetable on my 1^st day and on the day I walked out of that ward, he walked with me.

                                       

Of all the life changing experiences, my most memorable and treasured time was working in the female cancer ward. I honestly hoped and prayed that I wouldn’t be placed in that ward but Alas! It was my fate. And to make things worse it was for my duration of nightshift. As I entered the ward, already feeling disappointed that it said oncology. I walked up to the sister reporting for duty. She looked at me and smiled… “You students. There’s a fish parcel that needs to be wrapped”. A fish parcel is a dark humor term nurses apparently use for a dead body. I guess these terms somehow make the seriousness of the job lighter.  Now before I tell you what happened there, let me share what happened the first time I wrapped a dead body. Wrapping bodies are a requirement. A thing that needed to be signed off in that horrible prac book. We needed to wrap at least 5 bodies to be deemed competent. Not alone of course. There was always someone of the permanent staff helping out. The procedure is to move all the patients clothing, make sure he body was in a hygienic condition and then plastic sheets were tied together at the head and feet. It was seriously difficult for me. I remember standing in the corner of the room just watching, no staring at this man’s body …a man I literally spoke to 2 hours ago.  A staff nurse assured me that it gets easier with the more bodies you wrap. All you have to do is take a few minutes and absorb the environment.

But ok getting back to what I was saying before, my colleague and I had to wrap this body. We just started and it was probably just going for 8pm. We entered the room where the body was waiting oh so patiently for us to wrap and entered so quietly almost as if we were paying our last respects.  It was a white lady, looked like she was in her late 60’s. I don’t know how many of you watch The vampire diaries but you know when you drive a stake through a vampires heart and their veins come to the surface. That’s exactly how this woman looked. And if you think that’s scary as we touch her…it starts lightening outside!!! It was scary as sh*t.

Walking down those long corridors at night was ultra-creepy. Even for a horror junkie like myself. You could actually feel souls dwelling the building. Possibly walking with you. Apart from that nightshift wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. But working in a cancer ward still bothered me. As I stood there I was surrounded by death.  Not that I’m saying there aren’t cancer survivors, it was just terrible for me because I was watching people die and there was nothing I could do about it. People were past the help of medication and it was up to us to make what seemed to be the last days pleasant. I witnessed how cancer not only destroys peoples but also brings them together. It united so many different races and religions. I found myself reading to and with people I didn’t know, joining in on their prayer circles for family members, giving hugs to people who felt like they were losing hope and even reading bibles that were placed on bedsides in languages I didn’t even understand. Every little bit counted just to see a joyous heartfelt smile on a patient’s face.

Until one night. There was a woman admitted who was terribly..terribly ill. She was so beautiful. Her eyes a deep blue and her hair blonder than blonde. She was 35, the kind of person you would see in Hollywood not at the edge of a hospital bed throwing up. She spoke very little but it could possibly be because she was in so much pain. She never complained or asked for anything. When I checked up on her she had messed her bed. My colleague and I cleaned her up, changed her linen and for the first time she asked me for something. “Could I please get some water?” I held her head up and helped her drink. Ill never forget this for as long as I live because to this day I still picture her faint smile. She grabbed my hand, pointed to her bedside cupboard and told me to take a chocolate. For all the time I had been working at hospital I had never taken anything from a patient no matter how much they insisted  but for some reason I took it and thanked her.  While still holding my hand she said “Thank you for everything you’ve done” and she let go. I couldn’t get over how sweet this woman was and then I was off to my much needed tea break. When I got back this beauty of a woman had passed on and it hit me that I was the last person she spoke to. It took me a few minutes to soak in the news and all I needed at that time was to talk to my mom. It made me realize how short life really is and this was a huge turning point in my life.

One of worst experience’s was working in the Kiddies ward. I had to admit a 6 year old girl who had been raped by her uncle. I was so mad I couldn’t think straight. The poor girl didn’t want me or anyone else to touch her. And I didn’t blame her. Then while working there also there was this adorable doctor that needed my assistance as he wanted to pull blood from a 5 year old little boy. It was terrible! I literally had to hold this boy down and talk to him to try and put him at ease. The doctor who clearly didn’t know what he was doing, had to reinsert the needle continuing this childs agony.

Talking about doctors getting the better of me, one day working in a general ward, one of my patients was struggling to pass urine. I took the liberty of going to the doctor of the patient and explaining the problem. He was sitting at a desk, not really taking note of what I was saying, looked up at me with his pin traight hair and gorgeous hazel eyes and said “I really don’t have time for that now”…he probably shouldn’t have as my fist were just about to clench up at this guy buy in like two seconds he flashed a huge smile, got up and grabbed my arm and said “im just joking darling, ill be right with you”.

Oh so its not only patients that flirt with nurses…

                                       

So then why quit you ask?  A brilliant question indeed. Firstly I failed a subject. My first time failing anything actually and it made me lose focus. Secondly I knew the passion and drive was there but it was really draining. Nursing is definatly not for sissies. You need to be extremely strong. Both physically and emotionally. I wouldn’t be able to describe all my experiences because there so much that I still haven’t touched on but doing a year of nursing has defiantly made me view life in a completely different manner. Also the hours were killing me.  I felt like I was missing out on all family occasions that I couldn’t attend because I was working from 7am to 7pm and whenever I got home I was tired as hell. Nursing like any profession has its pros and cons…but nursing is definatly the most rewarding job and is especially spiritually uplifting.

Would I ever go back? ...possibly

Would I relive my year as a nurse? ...in a heartbeat.