History of Nursing

Florence Nightingale was a spectacular woman, a woman ahead of her time. A woman of compassion from an early age. Growing up in a wealthy family it was expected that she would have an impact on the era, but it was NEVER expected to be from the background she came from. Having been a rich child, her family traveled often. Her father was an educated scholar so Florence and her sister were well educated growing up. With this kind of upbringing she was expected to make a good wife for some rich young man and produce children. However, this was not to be the case. When Florence was 17 years old, she had what she felt was her calling. She felt that God had called on her to do his work, but at the time had no idea what this entailed. She set out to help the sick, visiting at their homes and assisting them with their care. When her parents found out about what she was doing, and her intent on becoming a nurse, they denied her request to study nursing, stating more or less, 'she was above that'. Social status at the time was all important and nursing was not classified as a profession, let alone a respectable one. In an effort to disenchant the young girl, her parents sent her traveling with family members around Italy, Egypt, Greece & Germany. During her travels through Germany she came across a Pastor who offered Deaconess classes at the hospital. Similar to the classes she aspired to take, she began classes and attended school for three months. Upon completion of her classes she took the job of "Superintendent of the Establishment for Gentlewomen". When war broke out in 1854 (known as the Crimean War) between Russia and Britain, France and Turkey Florence was given the opportunity to organize nurses in the military for care of the troops. Upon arrival she was shunned by the doctors who did not want to work alongside of the nurses (38 in all). Once the casualties of the war started pouring in the doctors had no choice but to accept the nurse's assistance and it had begun. The lengths Florence went to, to help the soldiers was an enormous undertaking for any one person, but she set to work. She assisted the soldiers in sending money home to their families, setting up a place to read in the hospital and taking care of the soldiers health needs. Money was collected to enable Florence to travel to hospitals and set them up in the way that you see them today. Nurses caring for patients alongside doctors to give the patients the care they deserve. Florence single-handedly gained the respect required to call nursing a profession today. She opened a school of nursing and set about teaching the profession to a number of nurses. She published many books and writings during her career, but the most well known was Notes on Nursing which is still in print today. Florence also began the thought of importance of hygiene in the surgical suites, although she also felt the surgical arena needed ventilation, she was correct on the hygiene importance and therefore surgical technique, or at least the idea of it, stemmed from her. After Florence passed away, her life-changing techniques were continued and still in use today. People are better cared for because of her changes to the healthcare profession of nursing.

What is Nursing?

Not just physical which we are always striving to assist with, but also their mental well-being, psychological well-being and spiritual well-being. Combine these together and you have a great nurse on your hands.

Nursing is also the knowledge that you possess. Knowledge to know, the gut instinct that drives our many daily decisions in regards to patients care and calling the doctor. Nursing is knowing the correct way to go about things, and learning the secrets to short cuts that make care stronger.

My Career in Nursing

Before I was even born, I think my future was predetermined. While my mom was pregnant with me she graduated from nursing school. It's always been her long standing joke that my going to school and my ultimate graduation was just simply going through the motions, since I had already graduated before I was born.

Maybe so, but in the years prior to becoming a nurse I had several jobs that lead me that way. For example, I first had a job as a nurses aide in OB. I loved the job, but couldn't get along with a nurse who was working there at the time, plus I was quite young and just wasn't able to adapt to the many MANY instruments required to be used in OB. So I quit at 3 months.

Then several years later I became a phlebotomist. I found I had a natural knack for finding a vein. I think truly this was when I decided to become a nurse.

So in 2000 I started classes at Ivy Tech. Just prereqs, but it was getting me closer to my goal. Once I finished my first classes I was told that the waiting list to get into class was quite long and that I may as well continue taking classes until the list dwindled. At the time I was struggling with my algebra class (I've never been real good at math) and decided I would take the route my mom took and entered in St. Elizabeth School of nursing in May of 2002.

I actually started classes in Aug of that year. The first year I truly wondered if I was going to be able to make it. Problems at home compounded the issue and I was ready to quit. When I approached one of my instructors about the problems she basically gave me the kick in the ass I needed to keep going. She told me that she saw in me a great nurse. That I could not give up, she wouldn't let me. I listened, I followed her advice and I followed my heart and continued.

Through several trials and tribulations (see about me page) I finally graduated in May of 2005. Prior to graduation I had landed a job at the same place I was a nurses aide many years before, also in OB. I was so excited because during my entire education my dream was to be an OB nurse. I started work the week after graduation.

I was told the first day on the job that I had already worked there (even though it was some 13 years prior) and basically I wasn't going to go through traditional orientation because I had already worked there. Although I thought that this was a bad idea, since my prior experience there was as an aide, I did not complain nor put up a fight about that. Looking back I should've.

On the floor I went, basically following a nurse, being shown the department, which basically hadn't changed since I was there last. Same scheme of layout, same furnishings, it was like stepping into a late 70s delivery room. They knew they were outdated, but it didn't change anything. Apparently they were in decision on where they would build a new hospital so the hospital was left as it was in the 50s when it was built. Geez it was bad. But none-the-less I was excited to be there. I for weeks soaked in information, only on OB. I took care of postpartum moms the second week, which of course was the easiest part. Come 2 weeks later I was helping care for basically healthy babies. Then I was sent to Med/Surg.

I knew when I hired in I was going to be shipped to med/surg when OB was empty (which was quite often since the hospital was in a fairly small town). I, having no orientation, was freaked out a bit by this. I followed an OB nurse the first day, and by the end of the day I was so bored I took one of her patients.

Then back to OB I went, there was a vaginal delivery coming and finally I would get to at least watch one (yes it was close to 1 ½ months before I actually got to see one as a nurse). So I watched, the experience is always such a beautiful one that I forgot to watch what I should be doing. However it was encouraged to simply just watch, that way I could see what everyone was doing. But the fact was, my concentration was on the mom, not on the nurses and so basically I missed the whole thing from the nursing perspective.

I assisted taking care of the mom and babe postpartum however and that was a good experience.

Over the next month I was shipped back and forth between OB and med/surg. I hated it, I loved working in OB but felt I was in alien territory in med/surg. Mostly because I really needed to be focusing on how to be an OB nurse, which is a totally different realm then med/surg. The care is totally different. I tried not to complain but I did bring my concerns to the charge nurse in charge of OB. She said it will be fine, just keep up what I'm doing.

Over time I realized how much I wasn't getting it. I was frustrated with the switch back and forth between departments, frustrated with the lack of orientation, just frustrated. So, the day that I was to get my evaluation I called in and told her that I just couldn't do it. Over the last month at that job I developed ulcers from stress. I asked if she wanted notice, she said, no it's okay. So I wrote up my letter of resignation and quit. I hated the thought, but going straight out of school to a specialty unit in a small hospital where I had to float was just a bad idea.

I searched for my next job for a month. Finally landing a job in September which was in an ortho/neuro unit. I was put through an extensive orientation and given a preceptor to follow and work with for the first few weeks on the floor. I had done clinicals on this floor in nursing school so I was quite familiar with the ins/outs of the floor. So I got fairly comfortable quickly. However I still had bouts of anxiety, the same anxiety I suffered with in nursing school. After about a month on days I was switched to nights in the position I was hired in for. I had a preceptor on nights as well, the nights group was great. I got along quite well with them for the first month. Then I was injured on the job.

Two days before Christmas I was walking by a patients room when I noticed she was up out of bed walking toward the window (which incidentally was the opposite way from the bathroom). I quickly approached her, since she was only 1 day postop knee replacement. She was disoriented, and stated "I'm not at home am I?" I said no, you are in the hospital. She said, 'oh that's right, did I have surgery yet?' I told her she had had surgery yesterday, and what was she doing out of bed? She said she needed to use the restroom and was thinking she was at home. She had been using her walker. I asked her if she thought she could make it back to the bathroom, or did she want to get back in bed (which was closer) and use the bedpan. We both agreed to get her back in bed. I assisted her in turning around and just as she got to facing the correct direction she said 'I just can't do it' and collapsed. Luckily I was there and caught her, slid her down my leg to the floor as I was always taught to do. This lady was quite a bit heavier than myself, and I had a difficult time doing it. I called for assistance and myself and another nurse and an aide assisted her into a chair. Then took vitals and finally assisted her back to bed. I wrote up the incident and even received complements on the completeness of the incident. I that night noticed that my back was quite sore, but I passed it off as normal because I did have a history of degenerative disc disease.

The next night it was excruciating. I filed a personal incident report and made an appointment with my own doctor for after the holidays, and in the meantime he gave me a script for valium to assist with pain. So I was in Michigan over the holidays. When I came home I was told that I should've sought out the assistance of the employee health nurse. Having never been hurt on the job I didn't know this. So I immediately (following my night shift in even more excruciating pain) contacted the employee health nurse who made an appointment for me at the designated employee health care place. I went to the appointment and was told I had a strain. They tried me on several pain meds after a shot of toradol 60mg. Finally after nothing helping I requested a script for po toradol which I was giving 5 days worth. In the meantime I was given strict restrictions. No lifting, bending, stooping, twisting, no prolonged walking or standing. Okay, with all of this, what can I do as a nurse? I mean come on. I couldn't of course take pain meds at work, at least not the ones that worked so I had to live with the pain.

Upon my next visit to this doctor he told me to take a couple days off work and took an xray. Still saying it's a strain. So I stayed on the same restrictions for another week. I managed the pain as best as I could but by the end of each shift I was nearly in tears. So I was given one more day off work and increased restrictions, could walk and stand and lift up to 10 pounds. By this time I had already become a burden to the staff and aides. It was crazy, but I continued. The aides were complaining, the nurses were telling me, "oh I've been injured too before and you know how long the restrictions lasted? 1 night." Great for you, but were you hurt on the job? 'well no' then this is NOT the same thing, if I reinjure myself by not following the restrictions I was given then it becomes MY problem. So I continued to follow restrictions, the pain eased slowly over the next month. My restrictions eased as well along the way.

One thing I forgot to mention, which is very important. My body was NOT adjusting to nights by any means. It was totally out of balance and I was sick from the week after I started nights. I constantly was on antibiotics for the 2 months that I was on nights. Even at one point ending up with pink eye (which I had not had since I was a child!!!).

One night I was caring for a respite patient (well I should say this patient was just a patient at the time, and it was my insistence to the family that he become DNR). This patient as I came on I noted was going down the tubes and quick. He had not had a set of vitals done on him for several hours, and was in terrible pain. By the time I had gotten vitals it had been 7 hours since anyone had done vitals on him. His Sats were in the toilet at 74%!!! I quickly bumped up his oxygen with no affect. Called respiratory therapy in for a consult who put him on a non-rebreather at 13 liters! His BP was very low and his IV was running at a minimal rate. I immediately lowered the head of his bed and increased the rate of the IV. Brought the family out and discussed the fact he was going down hill and did they want him to made DNR? I explained to the family what that meant, and what it included as far as assessments and determination of care. The family did decide to go DNR and I in turn made all the changes with the files, the doctors, and so on. I counsolled the family all night, spending most of my night in their room, even though I had 4 other patients, none of which were as critical. Every time the family had concerns about 'anything' I told them do not hesitate to come get me. I helped reposition him several times, with assistance (due to restrictions I was on). Offered the patient water often, and I got an order for a Morphine drip to better control his pain. Basically doing everything within my power to keep the patient comfortable as well as the family supported. I went home feeling good about the care I gave the patient. The next night I was on and was sent to the other end of the floor, which was unusual because usually if you have cared for one set of patients then usually the charge nurse puts you back with them because they are understood more by the nurse. Anyway - I thought it was strange, but continued on with caring for my patients at the end of the hallway. Around 11pm I was at the desk charting and the night before patients family came up and asked why I was not taking care of their father. I explained that I was given a different set of patients, and I do not get to choose my assignment. They asked if I could trade assignments because the nurse they have that night was not attentive and would only go in the room as it was absolutely necessary. I explained that assignments could not be changed midshift, and they begged me to change assignments. Again I had to explain that that couldn't happen and I was sorry. I ended up getting pink eye the next night I was supposed to work so I was off for 3 days. When I returned to work, I was listening to report and was approached by the head nurse of the floor. She told me that after I finished with report she needed to talk to me. I thought to myself, there's several problems with this scenario. 1. She is never in the office when I come on shift, so why is she here. 2. I must be in trouble, although I have no idea what I could've done wrong. So anyway - I met her in her office. She said she had some huge concerns about my professionalism on the floor. Stating the specific patient that begged me to come back to be his nurse (well the family begged me). She said that it was told to her that I had refused to turn the patient due to my injury and told the patient they would have to wait until next shift comes on to be turned. I was appauled at that statement. At the time I didn't recall ANYTHING like that happening. Later I remembered what took place, at the end of shift (during shift change) the family requested I reposition the patient. I said, give me a moment to locate someone to help me, due to my injury. I looked all over the floor for someone to help, but everyone was in report or busy. I asked the secretary if she came across an aide if she could send the aide down to help me turn a patient. I hurried back down to the room to tell the family of my difficulty in finding someone to assist and as I was telling them that two aides came in the room. So we turned the patient at that time. I was so angry when she told me that that I quit on the spot. I checked to make sure dayshift was still there, told the charge nurse what I was doing and cleaned out my locker and left. I do no regret my decision to leave because I am sure if I had stayed it only would've gotten worse. Someone actually lied to get me written up. I am not a hard person to get along with, in fact most of the time my patients and their families love me. I care deeply about my patients and would NEVER tell a patient they would have to wait until next shift to be turned!!! So thats where that story ends.