Hello Nurse

Today I am reminded once again why I don't want a career as a nurse.
I drove home from the hospital, the heat on full blast, mouth breathing, but I still couldn't get the smell out of my nostrils. Soap, urine, and crap. The whole day I am leaning over patients, trying to cajole them into swallowing their pills, cleaning up after them, getting yelled at (except for one guy who told me that nice girls like me were few and far between).
One patient had a serious respiratory infection and I had to wear a mask anytime I was in her room. In spite of being nearly asphyxiated, the mask was good because she could just see my eyes and didn't know I was gagging behind it.
But of course I would never say any of this in front of a patient. I look at them in the eyes and smile, and by treating them with patience and dignity despite the smells and the gross stuff, I tell them that they are valuable and precious and I care about them.
I think nursing is a great career, really. I support anyone who wants to do it, they'll get paid lots, it can be really exciting.
But even after I came home and washed and changed, the smell is still lingering in my nostrils. Oh man. Thank God for a strong stomach.