You might be a nurse if….

No secret handshakes or special winks in the nurse club. And unless you’re out in the world in your scrubs (which nurses are doing less and less for fear of spreading germs) you’re not going to recognize a fellow nurse.
Or maybe you will. You see, nurses have a unique way of seeing the world and dealing with situations.

Do you recognize yourself in the five situations below?

You’re driving home at 6am. How are you driving?

Yes, you want to get him and hit the sack, but you’re a nurse, so you’re going slow and steady. Driving home after a long shift is no joking matter, and you’ve admitted plenty of early morning commuters who have fallen asleep at the wheel. When you’re tired, you a cat nap in your car or in the break room before heading home. And road rage? That’s not even a remote option. You unfortunately know firsthand how many crazy people out there carry weapons. And use them.

You’re most cautious in the kitchen about…

Hot water on the stove, so you turn the handle of the pot inward so you can’t knock it over. You’ve seen and dealt with curious kids who’ve reached for handles of hot water – and even grown-ups who accidentally knocked it over – and you see the life altering burns it can cause.

You think there’s a potential for a deadly flu outbreak, so you…

Get a flu shot! It’s like when you’re in an airplane and they tell you that in case of an emergency you have to first help yourself before helping others. You might be a nurse if you’re the first in line to get vaccinated, and then you wash your hands frequently, take vitamin C and encourage others to do the same!

You’ve had a few Cadillac margaritas and you’re feeling a bit loopy, so you…

Call a cab. Or get a friend to drive you home. Because you know, heartbreakingly, how cars and alcohol don’t mix. Not only does it put you and everyone else on the road in danger, a DUI can cost over $10,000 and your license!

You’re at a birthday party and you see a kid choking. You…

Help the kid! A nurse doesn’t hesitate or ask anyone to sign a waiver. You ask the child if he is choking, and if they can speak – you let them know you are going to help them. A nurse knows how to do the Heimlich maneuver…you stand behind the child and wrap your arms around him, making a fist with one hand, hold your other hand over your fist and place both hands in this formation against the center of the child’s abdomen, between the belly button and the rib cage. You thrust your first toward you, against the abdomen and upward, until the object is expelled. If the child becomes unresponsive, you begin CPR and alert someone to call 911. Each time you assess the airway, you look for a foreign object – if you can see it, remove the object. Continue with CPR until EMS arrives.

And you might be a nurse if…what else?