Nursy-mums - roll call

Claire and as I SAID IN MY LAST POST i STARTED NURISING IN 1988, QUALIFIED IN 1991 and have stck with it since then.
I have worked in renal for most of that time, and mostly haemodialysis. I am currently a community dialysis nurse, so my job is training, health education and support with some degree of palliative care too. although I often feel jaded after nearly 20 years, i am still here, so i must love it or be a glutten for punishment.
I love the longterm relationship I build up with patients, I know them and their whanau, I can celebrate their transplants and support in bereavements, it's totally holistic part of nursing. I love challenging dialysis sessions where i need to think on my feet with tec problems, I love the challenge of difficult cannulations and hate the politics of the public health systema and inequalities in the health and social welfare system (here and overseas)
Great idea janine as I have picked up that there is a few of us out there

Hmm I kinda count

I trained as a nurse, started in what would have been my 7th form year, got my degree and started working in medical centre that did both regular appts and also after hours. Loved the variety etc. I did a year there before becoming frustrated with all the teens coming in for preg tests, std checks etc and not really knowing much about what was going on with them so I went to Teachers College and did a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning so I could start teaching health at secondary school.

I love my job. I have been at the same school for the last 5 years. I get to teach boys about diet, exercise, relationships, sex etc and I love it.

Unfortunately my practising cert has lapsed and I looked into renewing it but its costs a $1000 and we really don't have that at the mo. Once I am back teaching I am going to save the $1000 so after the next baby I can get back into it.

I just love teh feeling of helping people and the reward of having guys come to talk to me about their relationships etc...something most guys never do!

My biggest regret is turning down the job I was offered at Starship in the orthopedics ward but I was young and scared of moving to Auckland on my own.

Opps, long post...sorry

I finished my training in 2004 aged 25. I did back-to-back degrees, BA at UC and then my nursing degree.

I got a good variety in my grad year but always knew I wanted to be a theatre nurse from early on in my training. I guess my favourite bit of the job is the team work/morale that goes on behind the scenes in theatre. Everyone has a specific job and you only need one person to not do theirs for the whole thing to fall apart. And on the most part, each team member is treated equally (despite what people think about grumpy surgeons). We have a great laugh on the good days.

I love the technicality of the job, having to be super-organised and getting to see some super interesting cases. And we often have cases done under local, so that follow-through with patients is great, as theatre is a very sterile environment and I think patients are pleasantly surprised at the lively banter that goes on (when they are awake to see it )

And I like that as nurses we are well supported if we or our family ever needs to have surgery by every member of the surgical team.

I did my nursing training back in 1990 just before degree courses became the norm so I still have my good ole nursing diploma. I started in Elder Care because, hard to believe now, there were no jobs around for new grads back in 1992 when I graduated. I then moved into acute medical which was ok but not really my niche. I strongly admire people who have a passion for elder care and medical nursing but it just wasn't for me.
I always wanted to do paeds so I did the next best thing at the time (or thats how I felt at the time) and got a job in SCBU at Middlemore. This was my 'backdoor' way into paeds. Well, I managed 13 years in NICU!! I love it but got to the stage where I couldn't stand the shift work any longer so am now working in the community. Much more family friendly hours. I still do some casual work at our local level 2 SCBU and love getting hands on with the little babies again!
And wow to the number of nurses on here. Do we have any midwives?? Just curious.

Debs

hehe, you probably did see me, but I'm pretty much unrecognisable when 'scrubbed up' !!