Do as I say and not as I do

I was recently talking to a friend of a friend who was horrified to learn that I smoked and was training to become a nurse. They felt that it was my moral and professional duty to stop smoking and promote a healthy lifestyle. If fact, they commented “that if they had their way people who smoked would not be able to train as nurses”.

I am aware that smoking is bad for you and it is my duty to promote health, but how much should my job impinge upon my private life ? I do not smoke in-front of patients, not do I encourage them to smoke. However, I do not tell them to stop. As well as being hypocritical it would also be poor health promotion. As soon as you tell someone they can’t do something they want to do it more. I provide them with the relevant information and allow the individual to make an informed decision based on the best available knowledge.

I must also mention that the person who made these comments was slightly overweight and did not take to kindly when I mentioned this and the negative health effects that obesity had (equal to smoking). Should people wanting to become nurses have their BMI measured and those who are too fat be told they will not be accepted into nursing as they are setting a bad example to patients ?

When it comes down to it there are fat nurses, thin ones, ones who smoke, ones who drink too much and those that take part in many other activities that would be classed as not appropriate for health professional, but they all provide great care.

So do as I say and not as I do.

Fun

I just found this from another blog and it has just kept me occupied for 10 minutes. Have scored 8 so far ! FUN

Thirty Something

It is now rapidly approaching my 30th birthday (26th September) and it was filling me with dread. But now I have decided to put a positive spin on it rather than the trepidation that normally accompanies my birthdays. My last three land mark birthdays (18th, 21st and 25th) were all a drunken haze and not much happened at all. In fact they were quite a disappointment. But this time things will be different. My boyfriend is coming down for a week before hand and is taking me out for dinner. I have already arranged dinner with another group of friends (University) and lunch with some more (old work colleagues). I am now quite looking forward to it and am not even bothered about becoming 30.

Now onto presents. The Reluctant Nomad used his blog to tout for presents. I thought about doing the same but my mate who read this have no way of getting in touch with each other which could mean that I end up with several copies of the new Scissor Sisters album ! So I am not going to ask for anything and do not expect anything. This way I am never disappointed and always mildly surprised.

Being 30 is not going to be so bad. In fact, I plan to use it as a bit of a watershed. All the bad things can be put in the past as I draw a line under my life to date and get on with the important things. I have a wonderful partner, great friends and the potential for a long and happy career as a nurse (if I can find a job).

So here is to being 30 !!!

Almost Done

I am now only six moths away from qualifying as a nurse and the hunt for jobs among my intake has already begun. The problem is that there aren’t that many jobs around for nurses at the moment – or put another way – there are plenty of jobs for nurses at the moment but there is no money to pay them. Despite nursing being know as the “caring profession” I can assure you that after three years of study I will not be doing the job for free !

But what options do I have now ? It looks like that I will have to take any job that becomes available to me even if I don’t want to work in that particular area of field. Anything will be better than nothing and at least I will have a foot in the door.

So just be aware that from the 5th of March I could be in a hospital near you.