living on the edge of diasaster

,

This isn't something I think about much. Nurses live on the edge of potential disaster every hour of every day that we work. You just never know when something can go wrong. You can do the very best that you can and sometimes things go wrong anyway.

You are reminded that every little thing you do routinely is so important. Giving meds you have given a hundred times. Doing procedures you do every day. One slip and the potential harm can be devastating.

We as nurses don't think about this much. I suppose we can't. If we thought of all the what ifs, it would drive us crazy and we wouldn't be able to do our job.

I am amazed at all the risks we are willing to take every day in our care of patients. Its really pretty remarkable. We put our licenses on the line daily to do the job. I don't think we recognize what an amazing thing that is. I don't think people in the world realize what medical personnel risk every day. They risk making a mistake that could harm someone, but we come back day after day anyway.

Its pretty cool really.