7 'What Nurses As Medical Equipment Be Like...'

A bit of fun: match a nurse's traits to the gear we run every shift.

1. Nurses as Defibrillators

A defibrillator reads the rhythm of a pulseless patient and, if it finds ventricular fibrillation, delivers a shock to restore a normal rhythm. Nurses assess the same way. We size up what a patient needs, then hit the problem with the right skill at the right moment.

2. Nurses as Electrocardiograms

An ECG records the heart's electrical activity over time and flags abnormal rhythms so providers can diagnose them. Nurses ride the same peaks and valleys. We help deliver one family's baby while another family grieves the child they can't have. Don't be a flat line.

3. Nurses as Mechanical Ventilators

A mechanical ventilator keeps a patient breathing when the body can't. Nurses are a patient's life support too, flexible to whatever is in front of us. Strict when strict helps, gentle when it doesn't. And like a vent, we alarm when something is wrong and call the team.

4. Nurses as Stress Test Systems

A stress test pushes the body past resting levels to expose problems that stay hidden at rest, and to gauge circulation and cardiac function under exertion. Handling stress is a nurse's specialty. We manage it so well it rarely shows.

5. Nurses as Ampoule Breakers

An ampoule breaker opens glass ampoules safely and prevents sharps injuries. Nurses make things safer for patients, often at our own expense, down to skipped meals and lost sleep. Watch for compassion fatigue. It reaches the best of us.

6. Nurses as Ultrasound Machines

Ultrasound examines the body without radiation, which makes it safe for spotting internal problems. Strong nurses catch trouble early through inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. We read people well, inside the hospital and out.

7. Nurses as Crash Carts

A crash cart holds the drugs and equipment a team needs in a life threatening emergency. A good nurse is always stocked and ready, quick and precise when seconds count.

You can't really level a machine against a human. Good nurses outwork the equipment every time.