The Common Cold
On the first day of orientation to the ICU, my manager nonchalantly mentioned that all new employees get sick about six weeks after starting–thanks to all the stress and anxiety thrust upon them. I chuckled, assuming it was a gross generalization; and of course it wouldn’t happen to me.
So, here it is, six weeks into my new job in the ICU, and I’m sick as a dog (see cold virus above). After feeling run down and super duper stressed out all week, my body finally gave in to illlness.
I felt bad, but I had to call in sick for tomorrow, and will possibly have to on Saturday. Ugh! I would much rather have been the epitome of the perfect employee who never gets sick. Or perhaps even the do-gooder that toughs it out and goes to work suffering.
Nope! Instead, I have a date with my blanket and bed tomorrow…
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April 17th, 2008 at 20:34
Going to work sick sucks, and you don’t want to be known as that nurse who comes to work sick and gets everyone else sick. Enjoy your date tomorrow!
April 18th, 2008 at 03:18
I was told AFTER the fact, after I dragged ass in to work looking like death after being in bed for a solid week. “Oh yeah, after you start working here you get sicker than you’ve ever been in your life after about 6 weeks. Then you don’t get sick again for like a year.” That part hasn’t held up for me. I’m sick all the time. The bugs crawling around the hospital plus hideous levels of exhaustion and stress plus an immune system that hasn’t been getting a workout because for 8 years I was self-employed have all added up to disaster!
April 18th, 2008 at 13:11
hi i enjoyed the read
April 21st, 2008 at 00:58
Nice post
April 24th, 2008 at 01:32
When I did my ICU orientation, it was with six others. I was the only one having to do the much more reasonable learning curve, coming from stepdown. One RN came from our telemetry floor, another was an RN from pediatrics OR, a third having eight years in oncology, one a year on ortho. Two new grads.
Both new grads got sick the first week we hit the floor.
While I completely understand you wanting to jump right into ICU, it is much much harder than having floor experience under your belt. In nursing school, I was told by many to go straight to whatever specialty I wanted. I didn’t do that, and I’m glad I didn’t.
I admire you for jumping in to the ICU and I can’t imagine anybody not loving ICU. Cut yourself a lot of slack at first. If I might be so rude as to make a suggestion: Take your time. Don’t be the nurse with the complex coding patient who is in WAY over his head. Be the nurse with the boring patient who found a subtle change in lab values, alerted the physician, and headed off a train wreck.
The seven of us are doing very differently post-orientation. Maybe I’ll blog it, now that it’s been 6 months in the ICU proper.
Thanks for the link. Most kind. Congratulations on making it to the ICU. Best of luck
/jo
April 24th, 2008 at 19:45
Hey! I didn’t jump right into ICU. I worked two years med/surg first. I’m SO glad I did! I can’t imagine jumping right into ICU!
May 1st, 2010 at 03:12
The usual remedy for common cold is just lots of water, fruit juice and also vitamin-C tablets.~~”
December 3rd, 2010 at 20:34
phentermine