My Toxic Trait as an OR Nurse
My toxic trait? Acting like I don’t need to pee for 10 hours and calling it “time management.” OR nursing has taught me a lot, mostly how to ignore basic human needs in the name of efficiency. Here are a few other quirks I’ve picked up along the way.
1. I memorize preference cards I don’t even need. There’s something deeply unsettling about being unprepared, so I’ll go down a rabbit hole of reading up on a surgeon I’m not even working with that day. Just in case.
2. I carry 6 pens but can’t find one when I need it. And yes, I will silently judge whoever walks off with my favorite one. Bonus toxic trait: labeling my Sharpies like I’m guarding state secrets.
3. I act like caffeine is a food group. Lunch is optional, coffee isn’t. I’ve convinced myself that a protein bar and cold brew at 2 p.m. is a balanced meal.
4. I narrate everything when I’m tired. “Scalpel’s on the field, cautery’s plugged in, I still haven’t peed…” No one asked, but if I stop talking, I might fall asleep standing up.
The caffeine dependency is a whole mood. A protein bar and cold brew definitely count as a gourmet meal in the OR.