A few years ago a coworker asked what thing is seen as normal now that’s going to be looked back on in 100 years as completely barbaric and I was like seriously? We’re acute inpatient psych nurses who have to force people to take medications, often by physically holding them down and injecting them. We’re doing the best we can, and I actually got into this field because I was that patient (my first restraint incident was my own) and I like to think I’m part of working towards that better future but holy shit does it suck right now.
I have to see every person’s full skin including removing their pants on admission. I’m as tactful as I can be, I provide as much modesty and dignity as I can, but in the end I can’t tell just by looking which ones have a knife taped to their leg. One person actually had an entire loaded gun that the ED somehow missed. I don’t make them squat and cough or put my fingers in any orifices but it still traumatizes the depressed college students who think we’re gonna heal them instead of just prevent them from dying for three days while we make sure the sedatives they’re gonna take until they can see an outpatient psych or therapist won’t kill them.
Life is horrible. We do the best we can. I’ve decided my meaning of life is to reduce suffering. The more time I spend trying the better idea I have of what actions I can take that will actually do that (although luck remains a significant factor) and sometimes I even succeed!
A few years ago a coworker asked what thing is seen as normal now that’s going to be looked back on in 100 years as completely barbaric and I was like seriously? We’re acute inpatient psych nurses who have to force people to take medications, often by physically holding them down and injecting them. We’re doing the best we can, and I actually got into this field because I was that patient (my first restraint incident was my own) and I like to think I’m part of working towards that better future but holy shit does it suck right now.
I have to see every person’s full skin including removing their pants on admission. I’m as tactful as I can be, I provide as much modesty and dignity as I can, but in the end I can’t tell just by looking which ones have a knife taped to their leg. One person actually had an entire loaded gun that the ED somehow missed. I don’t make them squat and cough or put my fingers in any orifices but it still traumatizes the depressed college students who think we’re gonna heal them instead of just prevent them from dying for three days while we make sure the sedatives they’re gonna take until they can see an outpatient psych or therapist won’t kill them.
Life is horrible. We do the best we can. I’ve decided my meaning of life is to reduce suffering. The more time I spend trying the better idea I have of what actions I can take that will actually do that (although luck remains a significant factor) and sometimes I even succeed!