It’s Valentine’s Day at Change of Shift

Welcome to Change of Shift, Volume 1, Number 17. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m using some of my Harlequin Romance novels to accompany the posts. Yes, Harlequin Romance novels are cheesy, but I really enjoy reading about people who get to live happily ever after. I want to thank Kim at Emergiblog for allowing me to host Change of Shift. Check out her post about a commode. What we nurses won't do for our patients. I also want to thank everyone who submitted their posts, and I apologize for not having enough space for all of the submissions that I received. I really enjoyed reading the submissions, and I hope that you enjoy reading them, too.


This book is about a couple of nurses who want to get on the good side of a grumpy, yet handsome, hot doctor. Yes, nurses strive to please doctors, but did you know that doctors work just as hard to stay on the good side of nurses? In his post Doctor vs. Nurse, Scalpel, from Scalpel or Sword , discusses his adventures with nurses who drive him a little crazy. He also talks about nurse-to-nurse lateral violence in the workplace. And speaking of lateral violence, Just Call Me Jo at Sinus Arrhythmia presents, Is it Really Eat the Young?

The Angry Medic wrote this post about a nurse with a hard, tough exterior, and a heart of gold. He says that she likes him. Well of course she likes you, Angry Medic. You’re a good guy. That’s why those nurses you write about on your blog want to drag you into the nearest closet just like you see on Grey’s Anatomy. You better watch out. One of those nurses that you are so fond of may have special plans for you on Valentine’s Day.

ERnursey writes about her relationship with an emergency room doctor who doesn’t always listen to the nursing staff. The poor fellow learns a painful lesson , no pun intended.


Nurse Roberts is a typical healthcare professional. Just like the rest of us, she strives to be professional around patients, even when it’s a difficult thing to do. Sometimes we want to laugh out loud, and sometimes we want to cry, but no matter what we may be feeling, we always wear our professional face. Susan Palwick from Rickety Contrivances of Doing Good writes about an incident when she was shocked by a patient’s physical appearance. Susan wants to know if others have ever had a similar experience.

On the lighter side, Nurse William gives us a sidesplitting commentary about patients who leave us all shaking our heads in dismay in his post, Behold, the Awesome Power of Human Stupidity. I think William has a future in stand-up comedy if he ever decides to leave nursing. Warning: Don’t drink anything while reading this post, otherwise you’ll be cleaning off your computer screen with Windex.

Girlvet, from Madness: Tales of an Emergency Room Nurse, presents, And Now the Next Contestant. She shares her observations about patients coming into her ER.



Nurse Sandra is calm and confident as she swaddles her tiny patient and holds him in her loving arms. You would never guess that she is swamped with work. The phone is ringing off the hook, call lights are going off, and there is a stack of orders waiting to be transcribed sitting on her desk. Maybe the doctor can stop posing long enough to give her a hand. Or maybe not. I bet the nurses won't share their Valentine's Day candy with him. We only share with special doctors, like the ones who give us the candy in the first place. Hint, hint....



At Your Cervix also had a busy day in L&D. She is a great team player , and I hope her colleagues appreciate her extra effort in making their day less stressful.

Labor Nurse proves that it is a small world in her post, The Red Thread. It’s a hauntingly beautiful story about how someone from her past reenters her life.

ApgaRN gives us a humorous glance at one mother-to-be in her post, Girls Just Wanna Have Babies. My heart goes out to Dear Hubby.



Doctor Geyer is working in his lab developing life saving medications for his patients while his nurse, who is standing by, is admiring the scenery. Yes, she’s in love with Dr. Geyer, but does he know that she even exists? She’s thinking about sending him flowers and a Valentine’s Day card. Maybe that will get his attention, or maybe she should lose her uptight pinafore and wear something a little more revealing.

Medications are a very important part of our patients’ care, and pharmacists are an essential part of the health care team. Drug Monkey proves that he is a very patient person in his post about a little old lady who wants the world to know that she is not a slut. It’s helpful to have a good sense of humor when you are at work. This is Drug Monkey’s first post at Change of Shift. Welcome aboard!

Disappearing John RN says he feels cheap in his post about drug reps. Personally, I’m all for free food and the other free goodies that drug reps bring to the unit when they present inservices about new medications. I especially like the Viagra pens, and the packages of microwave popcorn with the word “Risperdal” printed on the bags.



Just as Nurse Paula had passed her nursing and midwifery finals, her fiancé backed out of their engagement. Accompanied by her loyal friend Rosalind, Nurse Paula joined the Tasmanian Tourist Nursing Service. Good grief, I’d feel so out place if I lived in Tasmania. Patients can feel out of place, too, when they are in the hospital. The Mental from Certifiable Observations presents Relationships—Me and Them, in which she talks about her relationships with mental healthcare professionals. It’s a great read.

OncRN presents a wonderful story about how she and a special patient helped each other get through a difficult shift.



Beatrice Wayne, S.R.N., sat thinking, wondering what was happening at her old hospital. She was sad that she wasn’t having tea with her friends in the nurses’ lounge back home. Nurse Wayne was three thousand miles away from home, and she was having a difficult time with culture shock. Not to worry. It looks like she’s found a doctor that will help her feel better.

May, from about a nurse, is from the Philippines, and she describes her experience with culture shock in her post, 30 minutes. It’s an eye opening story, and it reminds us that we are truly blessed.



Holy cow, those two are in a major lip lock! They are rehearsing for Valentine’s Day, and they are giving new meaning to the term “equestrian arts.”

N=1 from Universal Health also had an exciting day involving horses in her post, Nursing in the Field (The Pasture, That Is). I love horse shows.

The Bohemian Road Nurse sees horses and so much more as she travels the backroads in her post, Heavenly Whiskey & Jim Dandy Biscuits. I wonder if she ever sees our love-birds when she's out making her rounds.



It looks like Nurse Honor has a very special relationship going on with her patient, Mr. Wonderful. Look at the doctor in the background. He’s wondering if he should take back the box of Valentine chocolates he just bought for Nurse Honor. I hope they can work things out. Another challenge that Nurse Honor faces is providing excellent customer service. Julie from I’m OK – You Need Meds talks about providing exceptional customer service during a nursing shortage. I think everyone can identify with her frustration.

Nurses develop relationships as we care for our patients. Janet from Chocolate and Raspberries writes about the importance of developing therapeutic relationships with our patients in her post, The Boot. I love happy endings.

Judy at Tiggers Don't Jump presents a post about a sad bridegroom in IV Escapades - Part 3. The poor guy had a rough Valentine's Day weekend.

Keith from Digital Doorway writes about a patient who needed some extra TLC as she prepared for a test. He has a great bedside manner, which is important when developing a therapeutic relationship with a patient. Keith, you are a compassionate nurse, and a role model to us all.

Jo presents Judgements and ASSumptions posted at Coffee & Conversation in a smoky room. She tells us that we should not judge a book, or a patient, by its cover. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I just had to say that.


It looks like Nurse Austen just got a promotion because she’s now a nurse at the top. One of her friends looks happy for her, while the other man looks concerned. Maybe he knows that life “at the top” isn’t easy. Relationships with coworkers can be strained when you’re the boss. EDMGR from ED Manger: My Side of the Stretcher gives us an inside look at what it’s like to be a manager in her post, My Side of the Stretcher Continued. Being a boss is hard work.

Rita Schwab from MSSP tells us about a question asked by a JCAHO consultant in her post, Excellent Question. It’s a question that hospital administrators really need to think about. Life at the top isn't dull.

Kris, from The Kronicles of Kris, talks about a staff in her post, The Definition of Insanity. A good boss always listens to his or her staff.





Kim at Emergiblog is hosting the next Change of Shift on February 22. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you have a delightful Valentine's Day.