By 3. The right attitude
I have been in nursing for 30 years. Med carts should be kept clean and organized, period. It just makes it easier to work. MIA nurses scare me and I wonder how they get away with it. Climbing the ladder should be via smart work and higher education. I have seen many people get manager positions without the backup they needed and were quickly demoted. Hard work, knowledge and attitude are what really help us to stay focused. My love of nursing has always been at the bedside. But above all, we must take care of ourselves first so we can be our best and do our best at work. When we leave at the end of the day, leave the job at the door. Take it off like a jacket and focus on home once you leave.
The problem I have noticed in nursing is the lack of support we give each other. We no longer have the post-clinical conference to hash out what just happened. We do need a place to vent, to make sense of what just happened. Be supportive of each other and be honest. Help each other grow and love each other for the individuals we all are. If you go home miserable every night, then you are probably in the wrong spot for you. Nursing is demanding—we all agree on that. Attitude is everything.
—Shirley Buchanan-Skeen on 10 ways you’re annoying fellow nurses
