Nursing - the unofficial guide

There are times when I love my job, I mean really love my job. In these moments I truely believe I have found my vocation (incidently I'm not a nun!). I am a nurse.

I never set out to be a nurse, far from it. From the age of 11 I was going to be a doctor and nothing was going to stand in my way. Nothing that was except nerves and a subsequent rather poor interview performance! So that is why 16 yrs (ouch I can't believe it's quite that long) later I qualified as a nurse. Admittedly it was a bit protracted, but I got distracted with various other career options along the way!

There is so much more to nursing than mopping brows (yes I have done this) and chasing after Drs (done this too, but after many alcoholic berverages). Nursing is ones of those professions to which 101 cliches are attached. Which is quite possibly why so many nurses leave the profession after qualifying. It's time to dispell those myths:

-Firstly (and most importantly). Nurses uniforms are not sexy in any shape or form. Infact therein lies the problem, they have no shape or form! Unless you have a fetish for unflattering polyester garments banish that thought instantly.

-Nurses are not Tony Blair's angels (God forbid). We are not angels by any stretch of the imagination. To call us that (yes it has happened to me) is tantamount to.... well I don't know, it's just too awful to contemplate.

-Nurses do not have sex with Drs in laundry cupboards. (well maybe they do and I've just missed out!) For starters you wouldn't have the time and secondly linen is such a rare commodity there is never any there. So it would be obvious what you were up to.

But nursing does have its unforgettable moments, the moments that make you laugh and cry. Where else would you find yourself demonstrating kickboxing/streetdance/reenacting west end show tunes to a captive audience? I'd like to think that alongside giving out pills, ranting at drs, taking blood etc I am giving that little bit of me. What do I get in return? big hugs :0)