Life is not static. For anyone. The good does not last forever. Neither does the bad. Neither does the status quo. Some events, like college, marriage, moves, are anticipated and planned for. Others are not. Just ask one of your patients.

My guess is you have had contact with someone in the last couple of days whose world has been turned upside down by an accident, diagnosis, new baby. You've had the opportunity to rub shoulders with those who are shell-shocked by the sudden turn in the road. Were they angry? Depressed? Overly emotional? Flat? We are often not prepared for the emotions we feel when we know what's coming, much less for the unexpected.

It is our privilege as nurses to care for the shell-shocked, whether patient or family. We are in a unique position to help them through the trial and error of emoting. It will not always be comfortable. It will rarely be pretty. We may even get sucked into some unhealthy dynamics.

I think the key is grace. For our patients, their families, ourselves. Emotions catch us all off guard sometimes and we behave in ways we later regret. We say things we don't mean. We don't say things we should. We cry when we don't want to. We yell.

Are you able to let it go? Are you able to walk back in to the patient’s room after they've been unkind and let them have a fresh start? Can you take the burden of bad behavior off their plate so they only have to worry about the impending surgery? It takes maturity to do it. It takes someone who is able to put the patient’s needs above their own. It takes a nurse who knows the next sudden turn may be in her own road.

Related: Attitude, Caring, Emotions, Mindset, Patience, Patients