The best thing that has ever happened to me as a nurse was meeting my soul mate who just happens to be a nurse as well. I’m not saying that if you go to nursing school and get licensed you to will meet your eternal soulmate. I’m just boasting a little that it happened to me. I love being able to come home, discuss my day and my partner actually understands what I am talking about. Well, let me tell the truth here. He’s a nurse practitioner, I’m an L.V.N., I love the fact that he can answer all my questions.
I have to admit that being a nurse has some incredible fringe benefits. Not only do you have the benefit of having a medical background yourself but you are surrounded by other nurses and doctors who are a fund of great knowledge.
A prime example of this would be the time I myself became very ill with pyelonephritis (fancy talk for my kidney was blocked). I was suffering from right sided flank pain which means…I hurt horribly in right side of my back about half way up. I had a fever of 104.5. Needless to say, I called in that day. My boss who just happened to be a surgeon insisted I come to the hospital for an x-ray due to the sudden onset of my symptoms. Trust me; this does not make me special! Any physician who had a patient complaining of these symptoms would do the same. The benefit I had was the fact that I knew all of the people that were taking care of me. So from x-ray, to CAT scan, to urologist consult I go. They found a kidney stone and luckily the kidney stone that was causing the problem moved itself.
Back to the main subject I was talking about when I started this topic was the wonderful things that have happened to me since I have chosen nursing as a career. My fiancé is a nurse practitioner. My four best female friends are nurses and doctors. It’s a little selfish, but at the same time comforting, knowing. I can call some of the best surgeons when they are not on call if I need them. I can call some wonderful nurses if I need information about my baby that has asthma. It’s as if I am surrounded by live encyclopedias that not only provide me with knowledge but truly care about my inquiries.
