My First Life as a Nurse (2015)

Punchy and brutally vivid writing. Reminded me of Hemingway.

This was a great piece and I would encourage others to read it... but yeah, as another user said, brutally vivid. It's stories like these that really cemented my desire to pursue healthcare. I will never forget the first code I witnessed in the ED. Every single little detail of that moment is just etched into memory. After I clocked out I just drove for a solid 4 hours trying to process it.

I've been working in the software industry while going to school and at the time of the above, my bosses wife had just returned to nursing, opening an acute care facility. This is after spending nearly 20 years in the same exact ED that I was now at. I got some excellent advice from her, my favorite bit was about learning to love the "absolute shitshow" of healthcare and how to cope with loss. The shitshow aspect is spot on and what this piece really nails. The crazy stories are abundant and at times it feels like we are still very deep in the stone ages.

Thanks for posting that was good. especially

> visited upon the body of one

This was a great read, thanks. As was the OPs link.

> That world! These days it’s all been erased and they’ve rolled it up like a scroll and put it away somewhere. Yes, I can touch it with my fingers. But where is it?

This really resonates with me. What a powerful way to end that story.

Great read, but this one:

”The cowboy cardiologists sneak in at night to try new meds or procedures on their patients."

wtf is that...