My patient today was watching the Nascar race when I walked into his room, and as I looked up at the television I felt an almost kinship with the driver being interviewed on the screen. I don’t watch Nascar much anymore, but in a life long ago, before kids and cartoons, I used to be a big Nascar fan. I even went to a race at Dover. So while I don’t consider myself a race expert, I do know a thing or two about the sport. But even if you’re clueless about racing, I think you’ll understand these ten ways nurses are like Nascar drivers.
1. Qualifying. Not everybody can be in the big race on Sunday. You have to compete prior to the race and obtain a certain finish time on the practice track. If you don’t you can’t participate. If you do, congratulations.
Not everyone can be a nurse. You have to qualify. It’s called nursing school, and it’s no joke. Not everyone will make the cut, but if you do, congratulations. You deserve to be in the race to save lives.
2. Pace/speed. If you turn on the Nascar race for even a minute you’ll notice the speed of the cars right away. You can look on the side of the track and see the debris flying with the whoosh of air caused by the passing vehicles. They move fast. It’s just the nature of racing. It’s what they do. They thrive at that fast pace.
Ever noticed nurses usually wear running shoes? It’s because we’re always running. Things move pretty fast in healthcare. The literature and protocols change. Patient conditions deteriorate quickly. The whole environment is a fast-moving machine, and if you’re not racing you can’t keep up. It’s just the nature of nursing. It’s what nurses do. They even thrive in it.
3. Loud noises. I’ll tell you what surprised me about going to an actual race in person was how loud it was. It was so much louder than on TV. It was deafening.
Spend about half an hour on a nursing floor and you’ll probably want to stick an icepick in your ear. It’s the reason patients can’t sleep in the hospital. Beeps, pings, alarms, loud voices, phones ringing, monitors, IV pumps. All these sounds collaborate to make a lot of noise.
4. Repetition. So I guess you’ve noticed race tracks are circular. Those cars just go round and round and round.
This may be what a nurses’ day feels like sometimes, like going round and round and round. There’s certain routines and protocols that must be followed. There’s certain steps that must be adhered to. There’s things that must be done over and over, like charting. Round and round we go.
5. Danger. The job of a race car driver is no simple task. It’s not easy, nor is it safe. In fact, it’s dangerous.
I think folks forget this simple fact about the medical field. It’s dangerous. Whether you’re talking about a combative, mentally unstable visitor to your ER, needle sticks and communicable diseases, back injuries, or your mental health, the nursing field is dangerous. It really is.
6. Pitstops. A racer’s car can only go so many laps before it has to make a stop. It has to stop for a minute and refuel before it can go any further. If a driver pushes too hard without making a pitstop then there’s usually a breakdown.
Here’s another one we forget. Nurses need pitstops. We need bathroom breaks, and we need food. We perform better if we stop and refuel. If we push ourselves, we don’t.
For patients and visitors, if you want your nurse to move faster, try bringing us some cookies or donuts. Just saying.
7. Pit Crew. Every race car driver depends on a good pit crew. They can’t function without them. I’ve seen a race before where the person responsible for putting the left rear tire on didn’t tighten their lug nuts well. The results were bad. Every member of the crew has to perform their task to the best of their ability to function appropriately.
Nursing is all about teamwork. How your day goes depends on your crew. Everyone has to pitch in and do their part, and do it well, for the well-oiled machine of healthcare to keep going.
8. Drafting. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, allow me to explain. Drafting is when race cars line up one behind the other for efficiency. By getting directly behind the lead car, the other cars can catch the draft of air and make their driving easier. Think about a flock of geese. The geese behind the lead don’t have to work as hard as they would if they were alone.
To repeat, nursing is all about teamwork. Drafting is another example of this, but it also points out that effective leadership is a requirement. A team following an effective leader has a much easier time maintaining their momentum. And as with the geese, sometimes you have to change out the lead bird. Everybody’s wings get tired after awhile.
9. The interview. Do you ever notice all the questions the drivers are always answering? Before the race, after the race. I’m surprised the sport’s reporters don’t try to hitch a ride and ask them questions going through turn three.
I feel that way sometimes. Sorry, but I do. I don’t mind the questions really. Not a bit. It’s when I have to repeat the same answers over and over to noncommunicating family members. It feels like an repetitive interview, and all I want to do is finish the race. Is that just a critical care thing?
10. Victory Lane. This is the place where the winner of a Nascar race goes to celebrate afterwards.
Have you ever seen a nurse when their shift is over? Yeah, it’s pretty much the same thing.
Michelle says
I sooooo loved this!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thanks so much! Feel free to share anytime.
Amy says
I really want a good victory glass of milk now!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
That would hit the spot!
Sherry Evans says
Brie, I think this is what I love about your writing. You have a God given gift. Not just anyone can come up with such analogies. I looooooved this blog. You wrote this with such an awesome comparison. Sometimes we as nurses forget just how dangerous our jobs are. For me working with 24 week preemies my Victory Lane is when they go home! That day is so unbelievably sweet and so fulfilling. That is my trophy! However the days leading up to that and we are talking up to 120 days I feel like a nascar driver. Some days I feel like where was my lead to draft off of. Actually as a nurse we have that internal ability to not ask for help until it is beyond our control. We like to think “I can do this” without drafting , but it’s always nice to know that your leader is there if you need to draft and the long difficult races require drafting. The long stretches without bathroom breaks, lunches, or fresh air. Maybe this is a new way to look at my job and think of it as a race. I need to always provide team support and when I am with a young new nurse I should allow her to draft with me, what better way to end the race than with the thought that you gave it your best, you drafted, you helped your coworker cause in the end the important thing for me is to take that baby to Victory Lane and see it go home with Mommy and Daddy! Thanks Brie, next week when I return to work I will definitely have many different thought racing through my head!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you so much! Always love your comments!