I wish I could make sense out of why these events unfold on days that start out completely ordinary. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that our lives and goodbyes are completely unpredictable. And it occurs to me that, regardless of the starting height, all falls are “long falls,” and they all happen way too fast.
Nurses can expect to see these patients in every kind of practice for many years to come.
When I began nursing school I was confident that I’d enjoy being a nurse because I already liked being a waitress. I imagine that you’re already groaning, but hear me out. I had traits that served me well when I put food and drinks on the table: I was smart and organized, I learned quickly, I was usually able to rescue disastrous situations, and I liked people and wanted to make them happy.
That last characteristic is a secret that most of us nurses keep to ourselves as we emphasize the more cerebral nursing traits—the critical thinking, the autonomy, the professional skills.
That’s the start of an essay called “Nurse, Where’s My Lunch?” by the accomplished nurse and writer Christine Contillo in the June issue of AJN. It’s about some of the human pleasures of being a nurse, the deep human encounters you remember many years later. Is there a temperament best suited for nursing? And how do you define competence? Is it all just a matter of mastering “cerebral” technical skills? Or is there more?
We recently posed the following question on AJN’s Twitter page: “RNs: we want to know: how do you relax?” Some of the answers are below. Exercise is one biggie, at least among those who answered. (Are Twitterers more exercise-prone than non-Twitterers? Hmmm….) Anything you’d like to add to our unscientific list of ways to relax? (If for any reason you mind us citing your Twitter self here, please let us know and we will remove your comment!)
Safety4Nurses @AmJNurs I was recently reminded by my 6 month old puppy that play time and naps are important for relaxation!
ErinRN @AmJNurs relax with hot bath, alcohol, reading, and favorite tv show (not all at once, ha!)
andrealgilmore @AmJNurs: #1 getting off the floor & outside if possible. #2 balancing work with family & me time. #3 exercise and last but not least, TEA.
WendyGlosser @AmJNurs I jump in my pool but also have a photography business on the side that allows me to escape a few times a week.
superjenie RT @AmJNurs: RNs: we want to know: how do you relax? –LOL do we nurses ever relax?? :))
LiveLaughLetGo @AmJNurs The best way for me is to run, but also hanging with friends and family.
ThaRizz0 @AmJNurs As an RN I find time to exercise and push […]
By Shawn Kennedy, AJN interim editor-in-chief
A significant number of foreign-educated nurses (FENs) come to the United States each year to work; although the exact number is unknown, consider that in 2009 alone, more than 14,000 FENs passed the NCLEX exam for licensure to practice here. Many come because they’ve been actively recruited by firms acting as agents for hospitals and nursing homes; others come on their own. Some are recruited from developing countries that, because of severe internal nursing shortages, can ill afford to send qualified nurses abroad. And some FENs learn that what they expected—or were led to expect—doesn’t match what they actually find when they arrive.
In the June issue of AJN, you’ll find a comprehensive study examining the international nurse recruitment business, an industry that’s gone through rapid growth in the last decade. Supported by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Patricia M. Pittman and colleagues conducted interviews with industry executives and focus groups with FENs. […]