Over the years, I have had my fair share of visits to the doctor's office, whether it be for allergies, earaches, strep, you name it — I am not immune to it. The last thing I want to do when sick is drive to the doctor's office, wait for the doctor to diagnose my issues, and wait some more for the pharmacy to call saying my prescription is ready.
Having gone through this process several times, I started to notice more and more during each visit that nurses are the backbone of the medical industry. They genuinely care and want to help each and every patient that walks through the door.
They make us feel comfortable. Typically, a nurse is the first person to walk in the room when we're waiting to see the doctor, which we all know can take a million years! The nurse is always the one to make the patient feel as if they are at home on the couch, when in reality, they feel crummy and have to wait in a small 4x4 room.
A nurse will always put your needs before their own. Most of us would probably say that a nurse's job is to take care of others (correct), but they definitely do not have to put their needs before a patient's 24/7. It is a choice, and I think we patients neglect to remember that.
True story: The last time I was at the doctor's office, I was in the room with my nurse and I heard her stomach growl when she was taking my pulse. I had never heard such a loud noise come from someone's stomach. I laughed and asked her if she was hungry or if her stomach was making noises for fun. She went on to tell me that she skipped her lunch break to make sure one of her patients was being taken care of properly, but not to worry because she was going to get a snack in between her next patient and myself.
The nurses you see during your check-up or in the ER are hungry, tired, and would probably rather be with their family, but instead they are helping care for you or a loved one. Just remember that next time!
Not everybody is capable of being a nurse. As a college student at the University of Iowa, I know how tough each and every major can be. We all get bombarded with weekly homework assignments and have three exams on the same day. Not to say that every major isn't equally important, but aspiring nurses are being taught how to care for another person. Of course, I hope that my degree enables me to help others in some way, but it will never allow me to care for a sick patient like a nurse.
And some of us just can't handle the sight of blood, vomit, etc. I am guilty of this. There's nothing wrong with that! You have to have a strong stomach.
They see things that cannot be unseen. Nurses see everything. Some things I am sure they would be happy not seeing, but that comes with the territory. They walk into one room where a mother is giving birth to a healthy baby girl and walk into another where an elderly man is passing of old age - all in a matter of minutes.
Patients rely on them for more than they think. Patients go into the doctor's office relying on the nurse more than they probably think. They reassure us that everything is going to be okay, and if it isn't, well, they are there to hold our hand and help us get through it.
All we can do now is thank the nurses that take such great care of not only us, but our family and friends as well. It is not an easy task, but they do it without hesitation. Next time you are in the doctor's office, for whatever it may be, take the time and thank your nurse and let them know that we do appreciate their hard work and dedication.
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