Pledge(d)

Long, long ago, when I was a young un' in 4-H...every meeting would begin with the solemn pledge. Which I will probably remember till my dying day, given that I recited it hundreds, if not a thousand, times over those 7 years. It went:

I pledge:

My head to clearer thinking

My heart to greater loyalty

My hands to larger service

My health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

Nursing kinda has a pledge like that as well. It's called the Florence Nightengale pledge, as it's kinda like a Hippocratic oath for nurses. You don't get to say it unless you are a graduate/or actual RN. Florence Nightengale,as you probably know, was the founder of modern nursing & the whole shebang...she was quite the remarkable person. In first semester, we learned all about Florence & the history of nursing & all the legal stuff.(aka:how to not get sued)

"First, do no harm."

"Honesty. Veracity. Benevolence. Nonmalifecence." (learn to spell...)

"What would Florence do?" was the theme of that particular course. I grew to rather disliking Florence, for her intrusion into 21st century nursing. Florence,however,is still important. (quirky teachers non-withstanding)

I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.

I'm pretty sure Florence wouldn't have put up with the legal mumbo-jumbo that passes as being a good nurse today. She was a person who took matters into her own hands,to get the best care for her patients. But it's 2013, & you've got to toe the line if you want to retain a nursing lisence. I went & talked to a prof today(who is really awesome,& probably the straightest shooter in the whole program) & she told me that yep,nurses can't legally make that assessment that a patient is "ok"..it has to be done by a doctor. So if I'm that patient with a low blood sugar in clinical,even if I treat it & appear ok,if I make a mistake & kill a patient or pass out in the hallway legally it's their mess too. And there is the fact that some clinical profs actually do care about you & want you to feel better. But mostly,it's all legal. So,I guess I've got no recourse but to run 200+ if I really want to avoid lows. The instant I A.tell someone I need to treat or B.appear/am low C.eat glucose tabs & someone sees I'm low it's game over in clinical. I hardly think this is preparing me for the real world, I'm acquainted with managing D on the job without killing myself or another party. At least,it was the opinion of the prof that I'd be better off temporarily high & I am tending to agree with her. Classroom is slightly different, it's ok to be low & treat there since there are 20 other students (as long as you don't pass out). Lab is like clinical..low=nono. She cleared up the confusion I had on that matter.(as well as a few others. It's nice when someone tells you exactly why faculty does what they do,even if that reason is completely asinine.) Plus she fed me diet beverages and cookies, & that's always a huge morale booster in my book. It's nice to have someone(in real life) rooting for you.(besides all the people that live in your computer,which I do appreciate ALL of you.Thank you.)

 

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