an interesting article about bedside manner.

came across this article detailing the dark humor,nurses and other hospital staff use to get by the sadness that comes with their job.

it's very interesting,makes me appreciate those that really do care in the medical field.

A definite a survival mechanism. I used to work for a burn hospital when I lived in Boston. While the nurses/staff kept their thoughts to themselves when on the wards with the patients (very sick children, many of them spoke no English so joking would confuse/frighten them), once they were out of the office and at a convention, it was madness. It was like all year long they had to store up all that awfulness and stress and BAM! it would come out. I remember being horrified - I was just a very young staff medical artist so my world was very different from theirs. I didn't understand what the pressures of such a job would be and how adults protect their psyches from the stuff they have to deal with.

Medical staff absolutely care! They see some ridiculous things, some scary things, and some just plain slapstick things. My cousin is a dr and every Thanksgiving she has the family rolling on the floor with the latest crazy tales from her latest rotation. I'm sure Baby has some stories for sure.

Trust me, I have quite the mouth on me. And have a very twisted sense of humor. I agree, it's a better way to keep from ripping your hair out or outright crying from frustration. This winter was particularly bad for whatever reason in New England (can't speak for other areas). Many of my twelve hour shifts were spent without a break, on my feet. I'd be documenting past 0800 to get stuff done because I spent my time caring for a heavy patient load and/or helping another nurse keep his or her head above water.

It's funny, despite knowing that I probably would have a crappy night I still go in. I don't experience the anxiety I used to have when I worked in the restruant buisness. I can stand next to someone as they slouch over from an MI and be like, "well, sh!t. Code, I guess." At the restruant the stress was very different and mostly non life threatening, and I had a much harder time with it.

There's different reasons for this, but what it boils down to is that I really, really like my job. I continue to grow in ways I never knew I could. And I'll always be a student in some shape of form- as I've been told, if you are a nurse and aren't learning anything where you work, it's time to move on!

Rant over. :p

that last part can be applied to any job as well...

but i'm glad you like your job,most people hate their jobs due to either not doing what they love or stress...

Funny how the critical life threatening "stress" doesn't stress you out!

Sounds like you have found your good place in life. That's a wonderful thing!