Last week I had the opportunity to sit and have a meal with some of my former co-workers from the inpatient unit I recently left. I left my position as a floor nurse 6 months ago to work full-time for OncoLink. My roots will always be on that unit where I was first given the opportunity to take care of patients and where I grew as a nurse and as a person as well. As we are gathered our conversation naturally turns to our careers in nursing, the challenges faced, the patients we have cared for, and so on.
Being a floor nurse is a unique job for a number of reasons. Not only are your thoughts consumed with constantly assessing your patients, reviewing new orders, managing and prioritizing your activities, but also with treating each patient as a human being deserving of the best care you can possibly give. Listening to my friends vent about the challenges they are facing made me feel anxious for them. I know those feelings all too well and I don’t think I will ever forget them. I also understand that despite their frustrations they would never jeopardize providing safe patient care.
The nurses I had the opportunity to work with have shaped me into the person I am today. You are intelligent, trustworthy, kind, resilient, hilarious, selfless, etc. I could go on and on. Nurses every where are the epitome of these personality traits. It is no secret that nursing is thought to be the most honest and ethical profession out there. Cleaning up after patients, being spoken down to by a provider with more education or working through your lunch can make it easy to forget how valued you are in society, but please, try not to forget the positive impact you make every shift you work.
During this Nurses Week I want to say a huge thank you to ALL of the nurses in the world. Being a good nurse can be exhausting, not only physically but mentally and emotionally. Despite this you continue to do your job as best you can. You take the good with the bad and do it with a smile on your face. You are the fearless faces of providing excellent patient care. You deserve more than just a week, but it’s a start! I hope that you find the time this week (and actually more often) to pat yourself on the back for a job well done and to take a moment or two to reflect on all of your hard work and the difference you are making in the lives of patients and their families. Thank You!
This reminds me of a conversation with a friend years ago. She worked in food marketing and was struggling with finding meaning in her job. I think of that conversation often and how, as a nurse, you never leave work wondering if you made a difference that day. You make a difference for someone EVERY DAY. Even something as small as finding out when a test will be done can have a huge impact on a patient’s day and state of mind. You should be proud of the work you do. It is not a job for everyone – it takes a unique blend of skill, compassion and MacGyver-like ingenuity. Take your week in the limelight, but know that you are appreciated all year long!
Thanks, Carolyn! You are a great example of the positive effect just one of us can have.