Here ’s why I left nursing

Leaving the nursing profession is bittersweet. My heart left nursing a while ago when I came to the realization that nursing left me first. It never was a two-way relationship. The profession left me without acknowledgment of work-related stress, specifically post-traumatic stress (PTS). First responders and emergency workers often hear the phrase, “It’s just part of the job.” So we all just deal with it — or not. I’ve heard this phrase countless times throughout my 17-year emergency career, and it’s a dangerous phrase. Not only does it reduce the stress we experience into ineffectual work, but it dehumanizes what we really do. Because of this phrase, I have witnessed the damaging effects of not helping nurses through their worst times because the expectation has been set that there’s no getting away from it; it just needs to be dealt with. I broke down in tears when I described to my husband how it feels to leave something that’s been such a big part of my life and my identity for so long. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Emergency Medicine Hospital-Based Medicine Nursing Source Type: blogs