In the world of jobs with behind-the-scenes secrets, I would guess that most healthcare jobs have more than their fair share.
There are just too many things about our own bodies – and the care it receives – that we’re better off not knowing.
These 10 nurses are ready to reveal some of their best-kept secrets, though, so buckle up!
10. Men are the biggest whiners.
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Men between 20-40 are the worst, most high-maintenance patients.
A nurse named Hilary says,
“They cannot handle pain or discomfort. They’re completely babies.
They’ll be like, ‘Can you please cut my food for me?’ No, you’ve got two good hands, you can do this.”
9. They hate WebMD as much as doctors do.
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It’s one thing to be informed and have a list of questions, but don’t go assuming the internet knows more than your medical team, says Hilary.
“If I had a nickel for every time someone came in and said, ‘WebMD says this,’ I wouldn’t have to work.
Google searching can be disastrous because it can cause panic. It’s important to get information straight from medical staff as opposed to looking it up on the computer and thinking they have 24 hours to live.”
8. They have their own language.
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I think you can guess what a “CODE BROWN” is, can’t you?
Yeah, it’s about poop.
Good guess.
7. They definitely have a sense of humor.
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Making light of terrible situations is a coping mechanism, and one nurses everywhere employ.
They also like to play pranks on each other, as well as play games like using syringes as water guns. You gotta blow off steam somehow!
6. “Quiet” is a bad word.
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For a superstitious group, acknowledging a “slow” or “quiet” day is the best way to make sure you get completely inundated with patients.
Don’t jinx it!
5. Everyone needs a good cry sometimes.
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Sometimes even the best coping mechanisms fail, and a good cry is the only way to cope. Usually, they head for the bathroom, says one nurse named Lila.
“That’s our spot where we cry and we grieve and we deal with it and then we wipe our faces off and put makeup back on and go back out there.
Our patients don’t need to see our grief. They don’t need to take care of us, we need to take care of them. I call it the emotional wall, and all nurses have it.”
4. They don’t want any more cake.
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We all like to show our appreciation for a job well done, but too many of us do that with sweets, says Lila.
“A lot of people think all we want is donuts and cake. There’s constantly junk food everywhere because people want to boost our morale by bringing us food that makes us fat. It’s really hard to stay in shape.”
3. Everybody hates Mondays.
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Nurse Lila says Mondays are worse for nurses than they are for the rest of us, even.
“If someone is sick, they’ll wait to come in until Monday.
Most of the main team takes the weekends off, so when you come in on Mondays you’ll get tons of orders because nothing was done all weekend.”
Nothing like playing catch up.
2. They can hook you up – if you ask.
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They know where to find extra pillows, blankets, and all kinds of toiletries- all you have to do is ask, says a nurse named Jessica.
“We do our best to go the extra mile if someone really wants something.
I had a patient who loved pizza but hated our pizza, so my coworker had a boyfriend who worked at a local pizza shop and she brought pizza in for them.”
1. They have strong backs.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics says nurses suffer more than 35,000 injuries a year, which makes them among the most commonly injured workers in America – second only to firefighters and police officers, actually.
The main cause is tied to something you might not expect, explains Hilary.
“Obesity is becoming a norm, and when we have to turn and boost patients, we have to do it ourselves.
When you have a heavy patient, you are just physically and mentally drained by the end of the day. One day a patient asked me if I had an artificial leg because my knee was so bad I was walking with a limp.
And the hospital doesn’t always cover damages done on the job.”
I can’t say I’m surprised, but some of these are definitely interesting.
Which one of these will stick with you the most? If you’re a nurse, share your own secrets with us in the comments!
