1. In nursing school they had us do a 45 page paper documenting a full head to toe assessment on one patient. My printer crapped out on the vital signs page without me noticing. Despite the other 44 pages of info, I ended up getting a C. I still passed the class with flying colours, which tells you what a stellar nurse I am when my printer works.
2. My first shift in a hospital as a new grad was on New Year’s Eve through an agency at one of the busiest downtown hospitals. It was so hard getting my foot in the door, I was desperate to get anything. Worst shift of my life, they gave me zero training on their IV pumps, blood sugar monitors, barely a tour of the supply room. Nobody told me I was supposed to chart in two different places until after I clocked out and left the unit, and had to promptly return. I remember one staff nurse looked me up and down and said agency? no further questions, she ran around doing her job and picking up the slack of mine, like she must have done it every New Year’s Eve before. I survived that night, and so did all my patients, bless that nurse’s soul, I work in home care now.
3. My first needle stick poke. I was a few years into my home care job already, so my confidence was high. Between fumbling in and out of messy homes, I ended up giving myself a good jab, trying to cap a needle after I had already left my patient, total rookie move. Spent the next 48 hours as I ended my shift, trying to track down a coherent family member to figure out if I needed further treatment for anything. In the end I was fine, never want to go through that level of stress again.

Nursing, silently humming away in the background, scurrying this way and that, camouflaging ourselves into the chaos of beeping machines, stressed out family members, and immersed in the needs of others and rarely our own. Never the star of the show, but the doctor’s eyes and ears, forever resilient and always adaptable, this painting sees the silent and beautiful work you do.

Eyeball Vase
acrylic on canvas
16 x20 inches
2016
Still available!

#museumoffailures #nursing #nursingstudent #coolart #homecare