by THOMAS PAINE, MD on May 26, 2016 in Nurse Stories
I have been an emergency physician for 12 years. I have had the opportunity to learn from and try to emulate an impressive number of amazing clinical physicians. These doctors seemed god-like at first, but as my training and career progressed, I realized that they were mostly teaching me through their own experiences.
One of my favorite teachers had a humbling saying: “Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” It was his way of trying to get me (and all of the residents) to learn the lessons of his own mistakes. Experience is an incredible teacher — perhaps the best teacher of all.
This is the way in all fields of nursing. I worked as a geriatric nurse for 28 years and by time I retired they were doing the same thing. I no longer can encourage young people to go into nursing because those we are suppose to care for are no longer first. Administration would rather blame nursing than fight and deal with what is truly the problem.
I have been an ER nurse for 24 years. When I look back on how it used to be, I get sad and frustrated. I loved my career and the fact that eventually I gained the experience to be proud of my nursing skills and being confident in what I was doing. Then things changed; I thought it was because I am now 63 years old. Thank you for validating how I am finally realizing that it is not just me feeling overwhelmed at times, it is the healthcare system with out-of-proportion nurse-to-patient ratios and the fact that there are some “clients” (do not like that label for patients) that we could NEVER be happy. Once again, thank you!
Thank YOU for posting eloquently and specifically and not just ranting. I, too have left the ER after 14 years. I have knowledge AND experience, but I call it like I see it, I’m not rude, but nor do I sugar coat things. Management doesn’t like that! They want brand new PERKY GN’s that have ‘book’ knowledge and will take unreasonable assignments to boast about, not realizing they’re too STUPID to know how STUPID they are, but they can TUCK & FLUFF while they PUSH IV potassium!