A Bit of This, A Bit of That

Just wondering...

When you are a nurse, how do you define career success? Nursing is not a status symbol profession. Nurses are rarely singled out for doing a good job. The best of nurses aren't necessarily at the top. There aren't really hierarchical ladders to climb, no one gives us certificates. Our profession is associated with trust from the public, but it is not associated with public admiration or awe, like physicians recieve. If a business person fails to perform his/her job properly, they may not get a raise or a promotion. If a nurse fails to do his/her job properly, it probably means that a patient wasn't recieving proper care.


Success for me is waking up every day and absolutely loving my work. Success is always being professional, and always providing safe care. It is important to me to have a life outside of my job, and to be able to have time to take care of myself, my family, and my friends. I would like to make a difference to a lot of people. I really hope that there is more to life than paychecks, and fancy offices, and plugging in hours at work.

Is being average really a bad thing? What is "average" anyways? Is being memorable necessarily a good thing?
Any thoughts?

Giving thanks

Yesterday, for all you Canadians, was Thanksgiving. Today, I am overstuffed with a weekend full of turkey, dressing, carrot cake, carrot soup, vegetables, and ice-cream cake.

Traditionally, on Thanksgiving, you are supposed to reflect on what you are thankful for. Here are some of mine:

1) Almost finishing school, and entering a profession that allows me to meet many different people and positively affect their lives.
2) Having a boyfriend that is intelligent, passionate, works hard and is good at having fun too.
3) Long walks in the sunshine with my dog.
4) Hot baths and a warm bed after a long, busy shift. Actually, hot baths and a warm bed anytime.
5) A good, supportive family that loves me.

Hallowe'en Nurse

Since Hallowe'en is in a few weeks, I was wondering, what do you think of sexy nurse costumes?
Last year, I thought it would be sort of funny and ironic to dress up as a sexy nurse. This year, the more I think about it, the more I regret doing it. The whole concept of nurses being the target of male sexual fantasies undermines and demoralizes the nursing profession. It goes against all efforts to advance nursing from a subservient, feminized profession to a more independent and respected profession. Besides, when have you ever seen a male nurse costume?
What do you think?