It is once again Nurse’s Week.
And here I sit, a world away from every type of nursing I have ever known. I find myself backtracking into an earlier decade in the lines of thought that surround me and the methods used. Nothing wrong with it but it is just a little hard to wrap my mind around.
Earlier this year I discovered two of the most delightful shows I have possibly ever found: London Hospital and Call the Midwife. Through the plot lines and historical perspective of both I have realized in a way I never have before just how far both the medical and nursing professions have come over the centuries. Then, today, I picked up “Notes on Nursing” by the great Florence Nightingale herself. As I flip the pages of my kindle I find myself smiling at the many truths she uttered and wondering what she would think of this modern era of nursing.
We nurses give up our health, sanity, sleep, emotions, heart, comfort, and pride over and over again for our patients in what seems to sometimes be a thankless profession. We complain, vent, stress, and consider quitting over and over again but still, day in and day out we drag ourselves out of bed, pull on our scrubs, and go off to the battle that we have to fight for that day. We come home hours later, often drained of all energy, mentally exhausted, and still carry on with the rest of our lives. We fight day in and day out for everyone in our lives. We care past what anyone should ever have too. We put up with and do things that most people could never dream of and we do in all with our best attempt at a smile on our face and a tactful word on our lips.
As I look around me in this country I see nurses made of a metal that I have never seen before. I am told stories of nights where there would be one nurse for the entire hospital and they would care for the laboring mothers, the sick babies, and any other patients all at the same time. They come from a different era than I could ever dream of and that I honestly don’t want to experience. They are incredible women and I am very proud and honored to have the opportunity to work with and learn from them. Already they have taught me more than I ever thought they would when I came here.
We nurses will go on taking whatever is throw at us. We will keep fighting for our patients, our doctors, our hospitals, and our profession.
We will continue to carry the lamp…
Unconventional Womanhood 