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The Rebel Nurse - Why Nurses Quit

by Teri Connors, RN

182 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-1124; ISBN 1-55395-409-2; US$18.50, C$21.95, EUR15.50, £11.00

In THE REBEL NURSE, Teri Connors RN writes about her memoirs and brings attention to the nursing shortage.

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About the Book      About the Author      Sample Excerpts      Catalogue Info

About the Book THE REBEL NURSE is separated into sections that examines many experiences in areas of nursing specialties and explores nursing burnout and ways to remedy it.

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About the Author Teri Connors, RN, quite nursing due to extreme burnout. She worked in several areas of nursing and was considered to be a "super nurse." She quit nursing prematurely and now cares for her parents and volunteers for various charities.

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Sample Excerpts

CHAPTER 1
THE EARLY YEARS

For two years as a nursing student, I worked for pay two evenings a week, usually in Obstetrics. Occasionally, I would work three - 3 o'clock to 11 o'clock days per week, but usually felt sick after such overwork. I worked to help pay school expenses, and to supply my crafts. I found out that I really liked nursing. On those hot, sticky days before air conditioning, I drank a lot of orange juice and water. The sweat was just pouring off of me. The Nuns locked our kitchens and tried to make us eat in the cafeteria. We brought food from home and I ate concoctions such as evaporated milk and pudding, peanut butter and crackers, or meatballs and spaghetti cooked on a small burner. Somehow, we survived.

One summer, I daily had ten patients to feed, clothe, bathe and get up in the chair. One obese lady fell, with me breaking the fall. She gently ìploppedî on the floor, and I fell on top of her. My peers helped me get her in the chair. Later on we laughed about my falling on her - I couldn't hold her up. From then on, I got help.

As a student nurse, I gave my first enema - high, hot (warm) and heavy. The patient tolerated the enema, but nothing came out. After many minutes, I got her up in the chair with a peer helping me. When she stood up, the enema worked all over her, all over the floor and the chair -- it was everywhere. We stripped the bed and threw the linen on the floor, a 'no-no'. We used a great many pads and towels to clean it up. We had to practically bathe the lady. We finally got her clean and back in the clean bed. Our Instructor came in and scolded us for putting linens on the floor. When we explained what had happened she helped us out. I learned my lesson about enemas. Later on, my peers and I burst into laughing. You had the choice of laughing or cursing at times like that.

On the Diabetic Floor, we had to test all of the urine samples in a precise way. The Nun in charge gave us a difficult time. We were happy to leave that floor.

The old part of the hospital had bedpan 'hoppers' (cleaners). One day I was in a rush, and didn't seal the bedpan door. Small bits of stool went all over my face, cap, dress, arms and legs. The Nun caught me and sent me to the dorm. I had to clean up, change clothes and get back to work. I can now look back and laugh at myself.

Our group had THE NUN three times in our Student Nurse years, enough for sainthood. She was very strict and particular, and demanded a lot from us. I had a young patient with burns. I ordered up orange juice to help him get potassium. I forgot to ask the MD(doctor) about it and boy did I get it. Also, I called his school to tell them that he would be absent for awhile. He was lying in bed worrying about school. I got hell for making that call also.

On that same floor, some of us took care of a local celebrity in the deluxe room. Betty Beau got me into trouble with the Nun. I got back at her. We told Mr. Lawrence to propose to Betty, as a joke. I was taking a temperature, and Jane came into my room and told me that Betty was going to Mr. Lawrence's room. I took the thermometer out of my patient's mouth and ran down the hall. He was saying, '. . . it was you, Miss Beau, who saved my life. I will give up my business to live on a farm with you. Please marry me.' Betty was standing there, saying 'uh, uh', and he said, 'Miss Beau, do you hear giggling?' Jane B. and I were crouched down on the floor laughing so hard that we were crying. (Jane was normally a very calm person who didn't show that kind of emotion). Mr. Lawrence said, 'Miss B. and Miss Connors, you can come in.' Jane and I were still laughing hard. Two classmates joined us. Soon the Nun found us all in one room. The patient rescued us, as he said, 'I was just thanking these students who saved my life', so Sister let it ride. Close call! Of course, we were still silly teenagers.

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Catalogue Information

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