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Saturday, October 22, 2011

you are nuts until proven otherwise

After years of experience, thousands of hours of patient care, I have arrived at a personal philosophy of ER medicine that works for me: YOU ARE NUTS UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE.

You know, to crystallize this phrase and philosophy in my mind gives me a sense of inner peace. I can relax. There will be no more surprises as I enter a patient's room. I will already know they are nuts, so nothing they do or say will surprise me. I can say to myself - you're doing that because you're nuts! I may even start to develop more empathy for people. Hey they can't help it - they are nuts...

What is genius about this is that when they aren't nuts, I will be pleasantly surprised! Wow....you really are a normal person....how unique. That knowledge will put a spring in my step, a song in my heart....it will restore my faith in humanity people I tell you. I'm so relieved...

3 comments:

nurse salary said...

Haha well written ,and yeah Emergency Room nurse is other of the very few jobs that need much more effort or patience or mind set that job is just for money

congrats for being successful nurse for years

Rachedy said...

Pretty funny cuz I think the same way. When I do get a normal person with a real disease I feel the need to tell my co-workers. We are usually amazed.

Dan said...

So what do those of us who are only sorta nuts do to identify ourselves? I can't picture walking into triage (with a spear sticking out of my back or something) and saying, "No, really, I'm not nuts!". Maybe we could come up with some sort of hand signal? Do you remember the Little Rascals "High Sign"?