Back on the Block

So I started my shifts on the ward on Wednesday. Its been a while since I've worked on the ward so needless to say I was pretty rusty. The whole day I was disorganized, running around, and completely lost. My first night shift was a little better but I'm so tired right now I'm falling asleep at my keyboard. I've made my decision: I can't be a bedside nurse for long. Its not that its too hard or too tiring, I just don't have the patience for it anymore. I end up babysitting adults and catering to the needs of my patients. "My water is too warm, I need ice in it." "Can you straighten out my sheets?" "My linens need changing, they're 2 days old." You don't need a degree in anything to do these tasks. I didn't spend 4 years and thousands of dollars to make a bed or get someone water. My education can go to bigger and better things. Sure being a bedside nurse is a "noble" profession, but I'm finding it more and more demeaning. I'm not your waiter, I'm not your housekeeper, and I'm not your babysitter. If all you want me to do is carry you to the washroom and not listen to a word I have to say about your health and the fastest way to recovery, well then you've just lost another nurse to something better. If everything I've learned has been reduced to babysitting duty, thank you, but I'll find something else to do.