Nursing has been around for decades. Florence Nightingale worked her butt off so that nurses today could get the experience and training that they have now. Sadly, nursing is one of the most unappreciated careers that are out there. When most people, or a loved one, are in the hospital no one really thinks about who is actually there to take care of patients and loved ones. Nursing is a career that has such a high burnout rate that some quit the profession because it is just too much to handle.
I am currently going through nursing school and the end is just in sight. Before I began my journey through nursing school, everyone always asked me why I wanted to be a nurse. I want to be a nurse because no matter what thing(s) are going on in my life, I want to put another person before myself. There is always someone out there who has is more rough than me and they need help. My mom is a nurse and when I was younger, I remember listening to her stories with excitement. From the time I was little, hearing those stories, I knew I wanted to be nurse.
Nursing is a tough career. Getting through a nursing program is hard enough. We graduate just to do back breaking work, run around like a crazy people, get yelled at by patients and doctors, and maybe get a thank you by the end of the day. Nursing is also one of the most rewarding careers. There is nothing that can compare to holding a newborn baby and handing them to their mother after a complicated delivery. Nothing can really compare to holding an elderly person's hand while they tell you their life story. Although we might not get the "thank you"s that we deserve, we get to experience and partake in a lot of things people don't think about when going to the hospital.
Although we might not get the recognition or appreciation we deserve, there are some days when we know we are doing something right and a patient or their family approaches you and is in a time of need. They hold your hand when they need comfort and they go to you for answers their questions. For a moment, someone else needs your help. We leave our families to help take care of someone else's. We skip lunch and restroom breaks to help others do just that. Some hospitals, doctors, patients, and even their families don't realize the sacrifices that nurses make every day in order to take complete care of their patients.
So the next time you or your loved one is in a hospital, doctor's office or nursing home- thank the nurses. It will truly make their day. They got into this profession for a reason, it's not too late to remind them why they did.
