Student nurse to 'real' nurse
Tomorrow in my nursing class we are going to start our graduation paperwork. We don't graduate until next Spring, but the school gets this process started early in case there is a class that you missed. Our program is accredited by the Nursing Schools Federation (or whatever it's called) so there is standard our school maintains for classes and clinical hours in order to graduate and sit for the state RN examination. So tomorrow we start getting our ducks in a row.
I have to admit that when I started this process, even just started thinking about becoming a nurse, I had no idea what it really meant. I definitely had no idea what a nurse really did. All I knew was that I liked the idea of bringing health to people, especially in a public health setting. I think if I had known, I would have been completely intimidated by the responsibility. For example, I never thought that nurses had to double-check doctor's orders to make sure that they weren't going to kill the patient (especially medications!), and were legally bound to do the right thing. If Dr. X orders 400mg of a drug and I realize that 400mg is too big of a dose, I am legally bound to fight the doctor and refuse to give the medication. If I don't (or if I miss the mistake) and give the medication, we are BOTH at fault. I have had arguments with an older woman over this principle because she told me that it was too much responsibility for nurses--that we should just "follow doctor's orders". I don't think she really understood that what she was saying was "I want to skip that last step where you make sure the medication is safe"! And that's a big part of nursing.
I was thinking about all of this today because I don't have health insurance (my job only provides it for FT employees), so my only health care provider is Planned Parenthood. I went to get a refill on my birth control pills and started thinking about where I would be if I didn't have PP. They helped me sign up for a health maintenance program through the state of California, so my care is free (only for reproductive health). I was thinking about how PP is probably the only health care provider for a lot of the clients they see, and how they function in a very public health-like way. An RN would be involved in the surgical centers--assisting, blood draws, counseling. My Lutheran-but-still-very-Catholic mother would absolutely die, but I'm keeping it open as an option after I get my RN.
I have to admit that when I started this process, even just started thinking about becoming a nurse, I had no idea what it really meant. I definitely had no idea what a nurse really did. All I knew was that I liked the idea of bringing health to people, especially in a public health setting. I think if I had known, I would have been completely intimidated by the responsibility. For example, I never thought that nurses had to double-check doctor's orders to make sure that they weren't going to kill the patient (especially medications!), and were legally bound to do the right thing. If Dr. X orders 400mg of a drug and I realize that 400mg is too big of a dose, I am legally bound to fight the doctor and refuse to give the medication. If I don't (or if I miss the mistake) and give the medication, we are BOTH at fault. I have had arguments with an older woman over this principle because she told me that it was too much responsibility for nurses--that we should just "follow doctor's orders". I don't think she really understood that what she was saying was "I want to skip that last step where you make sure the medication is safe"! And that's a big part of nursing.
I was thinking about all of this today because I don't have health insurance (my job only provides it for FT employees), so my only health care provider is Planned Parenthood. I went to get a refill on my birth control pills and started thinking about where I would be if I didn't have PP. They helped me sign up for a health maintenance program through the state of California, so my care is free (only for reproductive health). I was thinking about how PP is probably the only health care provider for a lot of the clients they see, and how they function in a very public health-like way. An RN would be involved in the surgical centers--assisting, blood draws, counseling. My Lutheran-but-still-very-Catholic mother would absolutely die, but I'm keeping it open as an option after I get my RN.