Gone digging....

There is a game some nurses play. It's one of those games they start playing by mistake but then it becomes such a challenge that they get addicted and just can't seem to stop.......it's not their fault..... it's like a hand of poker. It becomes impossible to walk away, even when they know they can't win. Professional pride kicks in and lures them into believing they must keep going or be branded somehow inferior. 

I call it 'Gone digging' and have fallen foul of it a few times now. If it actually were poker, I know at least two nurses who'd have lost their houses and probably the shirts off their very backs...... Not deliberately, not with any malice, very far from it, but lost all the same. 

Gone digging is taking blood. Sometimes they look at the hand (veins) they've been dealt and it's a royal flush. They know they've won and can confidently throw their cards on the table, enjoying the winnings and praise of the dealer!

Other times they are faced with a mix of valueless cards. They should probably walk away, or pass them to someone else. A fresh pair of eyes who might see a combination they've  missed. It's hard though...... the challenge is set. Walking away shows a willingness to give up. The dealer is encouraging them..... telling them they can do it........ making them believe she's 'willing' them a good hand and has plenty of time and determination to sit until they win......hmmmmm........... and so they get lured in......... arm, no good, another card please dealer. Wrist, no good, another card please dealer. Hand, no good, another card please dealer. Foot, no good, another card please dealer. Ankle, no good, another card please dealer. Other side.......

Eventually it gets to the stage where the House has to step in. Give up. Walk away. You've lost your house, now keep your shirt. Sometimes even House security (yesterday provided by an excellent friend to the dealer) will step in a little and gently suggest the player needs to leave the table. 

A few hours later another player can step up and hit a royal flush on their first hand. Nobody's fault. Just the hand that gets dealt.

This analogy came to me as I sit here lamenting the needle marks in my arms, hands, wrists and feet. Yet again, I'm reminded I'd never make an addict!! Not a bad thing I'm sure! During the mild but not deliberate torture of yesterday, I was reminded of an analytical report I once wrote about heroin use in NI. There are obvious dangers of heroin use, but there are also the other dangers that come with shared needles etc. I seemed to remember something about the dangers of using a vein in the groin........ I chose not to mention it....... Didn't want to start giving ideas..... the torture was already quite bad enough!! 

I am also, yet again, reminded of the value of good friends. My sister has witnessed a game of gone digging a few times. Yesterday it was a friend who really shouldn't have had to sit and witness that. He did. Solidly. If not for his presence the dealer may have swiped the.cards off the table and tipped it dramatically, catching the poor player in a hefty kick on the way past. Far better for everyone to maintain their dignity. Plus dealer got bought lunch after the game...... result!!

Nurses everywhere....... if the hand you're dealt  is crap and you're not an expert player, give it a shot and then give the hand to a tournament winner. There's no shame. Have confidence in your other abilities, be they kindness, humour or honesty. Those are all essential nursing skills too. Step away from the table and hold your head high. 

As the great Kenny Rogers told us all;

"You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em. Know when to walk away" (don't hang around to see if you ever have to run!)

Xxx