!!!

At times, nursing makes me just want to scream. Like when we are learning about caring for patients with a chronic disease or illness. We are taught to inform, give pamphlets, provide information, encourage, yada yada yada. According to our instructors, this is the magical way to cure all sickness/provide optimal care/ensure quality care. I cannot get over how ridiculous this is. Seeing how chronic disease has - as continues to - impact my family, I cringe at how us students are being taught that pamphlets and group information sessions are instant remedies for life's tragedies, band-aids for health problems. SERIOUSLY? Try giving my sister a pamphlet to read when you've just told her she needs to stick herself with needles and pens multiple times a day, every day, for the rest of her freakin' life. Mention the stomach bruising, too, that'll be fun. You try reading about the side effects of high blood sugar 30 years down the road when you are 15 and all you want to do is just be a kid.

My nursing class illustrated caring for patient with chronic diseases/illness seem as a walk in the park. According to my instructor, with the use of pamphlets and corny videos, all patients in our care will be perfect. Always smiling. No bad days. No resentment. No denial.

News flash: it sucks. All the time. There is a lot of frustration. Anger and tears. Most of the time, the condition is irreversible. Which is means forever. And not only does it impact that individual, but their family too - siblings, parents, everyone.

None of those things were mentioned in class. I am pissed without even having a disease - imagine how livid Brooklyn would be if she was in that class? Man oh man. Caring for people with chronic diseases is tough, especially when it's life-long. But to make it seem like a breeze when in reality, it's so much different? I am beyond frustrated.

D.