Popular T.V. shows glamorize life in a hospital. Working in the medical field looks thrilling, dramatic, sexy… all good things. The hospitals always look clean and orderly, the doctors are always hot, and the patients always have some kind of crazy and mysterious illness yet inevitably survive their near-death experience. However, many people still view the field of medicine as a cold and calculating field, filled with callous people in lab coats who can’t wait to poke you with their needle.
From an inside perspective on the medical field, I can attest to that fact that neither of these two views on medicine and the people who practice it are accurate. Actually, like, not accurate at all.
I have had experience working as a nurse aide, or C.N.A., in two nursing homes. Both of these places were designated as “skilled nursing homes,” meaning that a lot of the elderly patients living in those facilities required a lot of help. My experiences working as a nurse aide really opened my eyes to the not-so-glamorous, but oh-so slightly rewarding life of caring for the sick and old.
1. You wipe a lot of butts.
There’s really no nice way of saying this one… you honestly do have to clean a lot of unpleasant bodily fluids. Before I purchase anything, I do some mental math to figure out how much poop I’ve had to clean in order to earn that amount of money. I often end up deciding that the purchase probably isn’t really worth it…
2. Never walk into a room without wearing a pair of gloves.
I promise, I’m really not a ‘germaphobe.’ But if you are a germaphobe, then definitely stay away from any and all medical facilities. Expect the unexpected in places like nursing homes; you can never be sure what the mystery spot on that old guy’s shirt is, but you do NOT want to touch it without having some latex glove protection.
3. Call lights are the worst invention.
One of my favorite residents at a nursing home called me to her room because she thought she got a package… it was a pillow. Then she forgot that I convinced her the pillow was not a package five minutes after I left and called me to her room again. And then another four times after that. Enough said.
4. Charting is the second worst invention.
You have to take vitals and finish up charting after every. single. shift… and you are SO done by that point.
5. Scrubs are never cute.
There is just no cute way to pull off scrubs. It’s impossible to look as perfect as Meredith Grey, ever. And if you’re going to have to give someone a shower that day, expect to be soaking wet yourself for the rest of your shift.
6. You get yelled at. A lot.
You just have to get used to getting yelled at, spit on, peed on, etc. Surprisingly enough, the elderly can come up with some pretty stellar insults!
7. The thermostat is always set waaaay too high.
Old people are ALWAYS cold! And they wear multiple sweaters at the same time! If they can, they’ll add a couple layers and cocoon themselves in blankets, too. Meanwhile, you can barely breathe because it’s at least a balmy 90 degrees in every room, and you’ve just barely spent the last half hour lifting people five times heavier than you out of their wheelchair, changing a couple diapers, and answering some call lights along the way.
8. Out of the blue, you find yourself totally loving your job.
Most of the time, it’s pretty terrible, which makes the sweet moments that much sweeter. When your favorite resident gets out of their wheelchair on their own for the first time, or a patient gives you a genuine smile, or thanks you for everything you do… it makes all of the poop-cleaning *almost* worth it.
No, unfortunately there are very few doctors as attractive as McDreamy walking around. The majority of the time, being a nurse aide means being a janitor for other people’s bodies, which is not exciting or dazzling in the least. However, medical facilities like hospitals and nursing homes aren’t heartless and cold places, either. It’s hard to keep in mind the beautiful moments you’ve had doing your job when you’re busy cleaning poop, but those moments do happen, and they really remind you as to why a part of you loves your job. I’ll never forget some of my favorite patients, or the way one of them used to call me her angel, or the unexpected hugs from lonely old people who really appreciate your respect and care. It’s those kinds of fond memories that remind me that we all get sick and old someday, if we’re lucky enough to live that long. But, no matter how sick and old, confused or frustrated as we might get, and no matter how challenging and gross it can be to care of those people, we’re all just people who want and deserve to be looked after and loved.