"The amazing thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools" ..... Doug Lauer
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Boo Hoo
Lots of views, but no comments and I'm stuck in a terrible brain freeze. I'm open to any suggestions for a post. Thought about an updated nursing awards post if I can crawl out of this cognitive abyss!
Gloves were indeed a precious commodity to be used almost exclusively in the OR. I actually came up with an award for nurses that appropriately eschewed gloves called "The stinkfinger"https://oldfoolrn.blogspot.com/2017/12/nursing-awards-emit-knows-where-they.html.
I also have a post that details how to conserve a scarce resource like gloves by using finger cots for sterile procedures, just type finger cots in the search box for the unpleasant details.
Thanks again for helping me shed this brain freeze with your comment!
I had an ecumenical nursing life having worked at Montefiore Hospital and Mercy Hospital both in Pittsburgh. My training hospital was protestant.
Hospitals and chaplains are timeless entities and I may have neglected to write much about the subject because I'm focused (obsessed might be more accurate) on old school nursing.
Any nurse recognizes how important spiritual well being is for patients and will do what ever they can to meet these needs. I've worked with atheist nurses that will bow their heads and fold their hands when asked to pray with a patient. It's just the right thing to do-it's not ever about the nurse.
Montefiore hospital in Pittsburgh was the most spiritual of all the different places I've worked and the site of the only miracle I've ever witnessed. If you type miracle or now you see it, now you don't the post should pop up.
One of my very first patients to die had a huge glioblastoma and had little family. I came in whenever I could to be with him and when he passed he said that he wanted to give me something. He pressed a worn Catholic rosary into my hand. Although I wasn't Catholic it's one of the best items in my nursing treasure box. I will never forget ED.
Thanks again for your comment. You jump started my thinking on more fulfilling matters than my usual belly aching about vintage nursing. That's what chaplains are for!
There's a brain freeze happening here too OFRN but that's due to impending snow in my part of the world tomorrow morning! I happen to live in one of the coldest part of Australia!
What about career paths for nurses? I know in my day these were limited - pretty much all you could ascend to was Sister in Charge of a Ward, then Assistant Matron/Deputy Matron/Matron. There was limited scope for specialization in areas such as pain management, infection control and so forth. You could always specialize in areas like OR, Orthopaedics, Psych etc, but these didn't mean a raise in pay.
Lots of use old school nurses went on to study university degrees part time in other areas to expand our employability - this was at our expense of course.
I don't know how much things different in the USA? Cheers, Sue
It's great to hear form you Sue. I was worried after hot hearing from you for quite some time.
The career paths open to young nurses today are numerous, so different from the days of hospital diploma training where virtually everyone came to land at the bedside in a very big hospital. You are right about the lack of opportunity for increased pay. There were certainly no rewards for longevity with hard core long term nurses making just a few cents more per hour than novices. Even the hospital director (no CEOs in my time) made just a bit more than nurses. In 1973 my salary was about 11K per year and the director made 15K. We were all in the same boat when it came to economic well being.
There were fringe benefits if you count free healthcare. There was a nice private alumni room for graduates of our hospital program when they were sick and inpatients. No MD would ever think about charging a nurse for his services. We also had lots of free food. Surgeons, were always bringing in delightful goodies. My all time favorite was home made bagels at Montefiore Hospital. They used to supply us with tubs of cream cheese to smear on the bagel delights. Those were the days, even if we didn't have lots of money.
Another thought OFRN - did you do much children's nursing in your training? I did a stint on the chidren's ward in the days when parents (usually Mum) could only visit for about an hour in the daytime - it was incredibly cruel for both parents and kids. I remember how upset I was at little kids rocking themselves or banging their heads against the cot rails. Thank goodness things are more humane now.
Childbirth was so clinical it put me off ever doing midwifery! Another change I am thankful for. Husbands definitely not permitted back then, or any other support person!
Or the patients that stick in your mind - the first girl I nursed as a trainee who was the same age as me - 18 - and dying of a malignant brain tumour - and I felt so helpless when her mother and aunt came to visit... I've never forgotten how useless I felt, and how daunted at a girl my age being in my care while she was dying. I still remember the shock I felt when I first picked up her wrist to check her pulse and she felt so hot and weak I got a shock. I had been a nurse for six weeks. Gosh it was tough. Zero training on how to deal with a dying patient and her family and I was only eight weeks out of high school! Does any nurse forget their first patients I wonder? Sue.
How about non-compliant patients and methods used to change their minds. Or not. Combative patients. Arrogant doctors. Doctors that have your back. How many patients called you doctor (even I had that as I was just an orderly, but wearing white with a stethoscope hanging around my neck). Brain freeze might feel good in this heat wave, BTW.
Hi jono,I think the whole notion of non compliance is a fairly new concept. Back in the day (I kinda hate that expression, but I guess it gets the point across) not that many patients were overtly non compliant. After all who could say no to a battle hardened, old bat in the hat of a nurse like my favorite instructor, Miss Bruiser. If someone declined a PO med she was certain to offer a much worse and likely painful alternative. she was the sort of person you had to listen to and heed.
On a personal note, I always felt patients that refused treatment were trying to tell us something. The 85 year old man ripping out lines and NG tubes had enough and maybe we should listen to him. Some noncompliant patients have mental health issues and might not want to get well. Maybe they have an untreated depression.
Non compliance can have a nasty side to it. I had the stew beat out of me by Downey VA patient who I guess took a violent stance against receiving care. Just enter "knock out punch" in the search box for the unpleasant (at least for me) details.
Thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment!
Love reading your blog. I work as a nurse in an ICU and it's so insightful reading your posts. I was especially shocked about nursing students being encouraged to smoke haha.
Thanks for your kind words, Brenna, but I'm not sure what sort of insights you gain from my foolishness. I'm more than just a little dated, more like over done!
Another rule that was stressed in professional adjustments class was to never, ever have your picture taken with any type of beverage in your hand. I don't know the rationale for this but we were not supposed to question anything. Asking questions was a quick way to earn that lethal brand "unsuited for nursing" label and an escort to the door.
Im a 22yr Vet (Army and Nursing) LPN whos going back to school (finally) to get my RN/BSN (money and ****EX who refused to "allow" me to continue my education stopped me for several years) Do you have any advice for the New "Old Fool" Nurses who have been in the profession for years and are about to expand their scope of practice? Ive loved being an LPN but there is just so much more I can do with the BSN that I cant currently both in terms of patient care and also preceptor/mentorship and education of "New Fool" Nurses as they seek to learn and grow.
Congratulations on your initiative and best of luck in pursuing your BSN. Nursing today is so much more advanced with an emphasis on education rather than back breaking institutional service fostered by old diploma nursing programs. When you hear me belly aching about the nurse academic/administrative office sitter complex it's born out of the dog in the manger attitude that I have because of the lack of opportunities we old nurses had. Everyone in my class immediately went to work on the hospital wards. Thankfully, there is so much more opportunity today. I really respect veterans and the sacrifices you made for others. When I worked at Downey VA hospital some of the vets I worked with said there was little difference between the VA and military nursing. With your military experience, you will excell in obtaining your BSN. Wishing you the very best and I just love it when whippersnappers read my foolishness!
Your stories of O.R. artistry were quite amusing and I bet there were other silly things going as well.
As a cardiac nurse one of my fun idea-games was to frisbee the ecg lead sticky things that we placed on the patients skin. When removing them, I would fling them with a backhanded motion towards the nearest wall and achieve a point if they stuck. Some patient's found it amusing; others were barely conscious.
I remember the fun we used to have with those old school giant rubber bands used to hold the limb leads in place when running a 12 lead. Some mischief makers would snap unsuspecting colleagues with those things.
Have you ever posted about all the nasty stuff we used to do without even the thought of gloves?
ReplyDeleteHoo Rah... you made my day with a comment.
ReplyDeleteGloves were indeed a precious commodity to be used almost exclusively in the OR. I actually came up with an award for nurses that appropriately eschewed gloves called "The stinkfinger"https://oldfoolrn.blogspot.com/2017/12/nursing-awards-emit-knows-where-they.html.
I also have a post that details how to conserve a scarce resource like gloves by using finger cots for sterile procedures, just type finger cots in the search box for the unpleasant details.
Thanks again for helping me shed this brain freeze with your comment!
Did you have much to do with hospital chaplains in any of your work? (Wondering about how my field looked in your experiences...)
ReplyDeleteI had an ecumenical nursing life having worked at Montefiore Hospital and Mercy Hospital both in Pittsburgh. My training hospital was protestant.
DeleteHospitals and chaplains are timeless entities and I may have neglected to write much about the subject because I'm focused (obsessed might be more accurate) on old school nursing.
Any nurse recognizes how important spiritual well being is for patients and will do what ever they can to meet these needs. I've worked with atheist nurses that will bow their heads and fold their hands when asked to pray with a patient. It's just the right thing to do-it's not ever about the nurse.
Montefiore hospital in Pittsburgh was the most spiritual of all the different places I've worked and the site of the only miracle I've ever witnessed. If you type miracle or now you see it, now you don't the post should pop up.
One of my very first patients to die had a huge glioblastoma and had little family. I came in whenever I could to be with him and when he passed he said that he wanted to give me something. He pressed a worn Catholic rosary into my hand. Although I wasn't Catholic it's one of the best items in my nursing treasure box. I will never forget ED.
Thanks again for your comment. You jump started my thinking on more fulfilling matters than my usual belly aching about vintage nursing. That's what chaplains are for!
There's a brain freeze happening here too OFRN but that's due to impending snow in my part of the world tomorrow morning! I happen to live in one of the coldest part of Australia!
ReplyDeleteWhat about career paths for nurses? I know in my day these were limited - pretty much all you could ascend to was Sister in Charge of a Ward, then Assistant Matron/Deputy Matron/Matron. There was limited scope for specialization in areas such as pain management, infection control and so forth. You could always specialize in areas like OR, Orthopaedics, Psych etc, but these didn't mean a raise in pay.
Lots of use old school nurses went on to study university degrees part time in other areas to expand our employability - this was at our expense of course.
I don't know how much things different in the USA? Cheers, Sue
It's great to hear form you Sue. I was worried after hot hearing from you for quite some time.
DeleteThe career paths open to young nurses today are numerous, so different from the days of hospital diploma training where virtually everyone came to land at the bedside in a very big hospital. You are right about the lack of opportunity for increased pay. There were certainly no rewards for longevity with hard core long term nurses making just a few cents more per hour than novices. Even the hospital director (no CEOs in my time) made just a bit more than nurses. In 1973 my salary was about 11K per year and the director made 15K. We were all in the same boat when it came to economic well being.
There were fringe benefits if you count free healthcare. There was a nice private alumni room for graduates of our hospital program when they were sick and inpatients. No MD would ever think about charging a nurse for his services. We also had lots of free food. Surgeons, were always bringing in delightful goodies. My all time favorite was home made bagels at Montefiore Hospital. They used to supply us with tubs of cream cheese to smear on the bagel delights. Those were the days, even if we didn't have lots of money.
Another thought OFRN - did you do much children's nursing in your training? I did a stint on the chidren's ward in the days when parents (usually Mum) could only visit for about an hour in the daytime - it was incredibly cruel for both parents and kids. I remember how upset I was at little kids rocking themselves or banging their heads against the cot rails. Thank goodness things are more humane now.
ReplyDeleteChildbirth was so clinical it put me off ever doing midwifery! Another change I am thankful for. Husbands definitely not permitted back then, or any other support person!
Or the patients that stick in your mind - the first girl I nursed as a trainee who was the same age as me - 18 - and dying of a malignant brain tumour - and I felt so helpless when her mother and aunt came to visit... I've never forgotten how useless I felt, and how daunted at a girl my age being in my care while she was dying. I still remember the shock I felt when I first picked up her wrist to check her pulse and she felt so hot and weak I got a shock. I had been a nurse for six weeks. Gosh it was tough. Zero training on how to deal with a dying patient and her family and I was only eight weeks out of high school! Does any nurse forget their first patients I wonder? Sue.
How about non-compliant patients and methods used to change their minds. Or not. Combative patients. Arrogant doctors. Doctors that have your back. How many patients called you doctor (even I had that as I was just an orderly, but wearing white with a stethoscope hanging around my neck).
ReplyDeleteBrain freeze might feel good in this heat wave, BTW.
Hi jono,I think the whole notion of non compliance is a fairly new concept. Back in the day (I kinda hate that expression, but I guess it gets the point across) not that many patients were overtly non compliant. After all who could say no to a battle hardened, old bat in the hat of a nurse like my favorite instructor, Miss Bruiser. If someone declined a PO med she was certain to offer a much worse and likely painful alternative. she was the sort of person you had to listen to and heed.
DeleteOn a personal note, I always felt patients that refused treatment were trying to tell us something. The 85 year old man ripping out lines and NG tubes had enough and maybe we should listen to him. Some noncompliant patients have mental health issues and might not want to get well. Maybe they have an untreated depression.
Non compliance can have a nasty side to it. I had the stew beat out of me by Downey VA patient who I guess took a violent stance against receiving care. Just enter "knock out punch" in the search box for the unpleasant (at least for me) details.
Thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment!
Love reading your blog. I work as a nurse in an ICU and it's so insightful reading your posts. I was especially shocked about nursing students being encouraged to smoke haha.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words, Brenna, but I'm not sure what sort of insights you gain from my foolishness. I'm more than just a little dated, more like over done!
DeleteAnother rule that was stressed in professional adjustments class was to never, ever have your picture taken with any type of beverage in your hand. I don't know the rationale for this but we were not supposed to question anything. Asking questions was a quick way to earn that lethal brand "unsuited for nursing" label and an escort to the door.
Im a 22yr Vet (Army and Nursing) LPN whos going back to school (finally) to get my RN/BSN (money and ****EX who refused to "allow" me to continue my education stopped me for several years) Do you have any advice for the New "Old Fool" Nurses who have been in the profession for years and are about to expand their scope of practice? Ive loved being an LPN but there is just so much more I can do with the BSN that I cant currently both in terms of patient care and also preceptor/mentorship and education of "New Fool" Nurses as they seek to learn and grow.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your initiative and best of luck in pursuing your BSN. Nursing today is so much more advanced with an emphasis on education rather than back breaking institutional service fostered by old diploma nursing programs. When you hear me belly aching about the nurse academic/administrative office sitter complex it's born out of the dog in the manger attitude that I have because of the lack of opportunities we old nurses had. Everyone in my class immediately went to work on the hospital wards. Thankfully, there is so much more opportunity today. I really respect veterans and the sacrifices you made for others. When I worked at Downey VA hospital some of the vets I worked with said there was little difference between the VA and military nursing. With your military experience, you will excell in obtaining your BSN. Wishing you the very best and I just love it when whippersnappers read my foolishness!
ReplyDeleteYour stories of O.R. artistry were quite amusing and I bet there were other silly things going as well.
ReplyDeleteAs a cardiac nurse one of my fun idea-games was to frisbee the ecg lead sticky things that we placed on the patients skin. When removing them, I would fling them with a backhanded motion towards the nearest wall and achieve a point if they stuck. Some patient's found it amusing; others were barely conscious.
You gotta get creative to survive nursing.
I remember the fun we used to have with those old school giant rubber bands used to hold the limb leads in place when running a 12 lead. Some mischief makers would snap unsuspecting colleagues with those things.
DeleteThanks for your comment!