Neoisms: And Other Stuff! Reflections of a Nurse

By Arlene Y. Adams

Neoisms is a book covering my 26 years of experience as a nurse...... from starting as a Licensed Practical Nurse to getting my degree and acute care nursing for 16 years. The last 10 years of my career were as an instructor for nursing..... I had come full circle. Neoisms are new words that make absolutely no sense that can be mistaken for true words. My neoisms are ones I created while teaching and are the 1st portion of my book. I also include some true stories of my nursing experiences, and tips I found to be helpful with patient care. Neoisms covers my experiences written with truth, humor, and some heart tugging moments. Susan Frech-Sims is an artist with an inate capability of capturing the essesnce of my thoughts and developing them into creative, fun illustrations of memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 3, 2006
• ISBN: 9781462838073

Book preview

Copyright © 2006 by Arlene Y. Adams RN, BSN.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

31121

Contents

DEDICATION

FORWARD

NEOISMS

TRUE STORIES

1

RECOVERY ROOM

2

DEFIBRILLATE OR NOT TO DEFIBRILLATE

3

ICY GLOVE

4

SHAVE OR NOT TO SHAVE

5

SUPPOSITORY OR NOT

6

QUIET TOUCH

7

BRAIN INFARCT VS BRAIN FART

8

FIRST DAY OF TEACHING

9

SQUEAMISH

10

CLOSE CALL

11

LAST DAY

12

EDUCATION IN ENID

13

VERY DIFFICULT TASK

TIPS

EPILOG

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DEDICATION

To my beloved husband and children who were so patient, forgiving, supportive, and understanding of my passion for nursing for 26 years. Although they often took a back seat, without complaining, they were and still are number one in my heart—always.

To my peers for all the good and bad days, the tears and laughter we shared through the ‘good ole days’ at the Woodward Memorial Hospital—they were the best!

To the doctors who taught me so much by unselfishly sharing their wisdom and knowledge with me.

To my students who inspired this book. May they never forget the lessons they were taught—I certainly will never forget the ones they taught me.

To all my many patients who trustingly placed themselves in my care, allowing me to share their joys and sorrow—and for the life’s lessons they taught me.

Note:

A very special thank you to Susan Frech-Sims for her art work. Susan is so talented and has captured the spirit of my thoughts with her illustrations. I am forever grateful.

FORWARD

My family moved to Woodward, Oklahoma from California in 1972. My husband was a plumber and desired going into business for himself. Woodward is his home town and was experiencing growth at that time, so we decided it would be the ideal place for us to start his plumbing company.

Getting married in my late teens, being a housewife and mother of three children, kept me busy. Although I was active in their activities, I always thought I would like to be a nurse. So, after the move and thinking I would need to temporarily help out financially until the business was established, I went to work in a local nursing home. Until that time I had never worked a day in my life, so it was quite an adjustment for me. On my first night, I worked with the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) as apart of my orientation. Early that night she told me I would need to ‘remove an impaction’ on a bed patient—I had no clue what she was talking about. As the LPN explained the procedure to me and recognized my panicky look, she said I wouldn’t have to do it on my first night, I could observe. Later that shift a patient passed away in the early hours, we found her on our rounds. I went home at the end of the shift in tears, sobbingly told my husband I could not go back—and I didn’t!

So naturally my enrollment in LPN school in 1974 was somewhat a surprise to my family, especially after my experience of one night in the nursing home. While waiting for my interview at school, the instructors offered