I'm a school nurse; I left the ER behind: the stress, the shift work, the adrenaline. Now I work in an exclusive private boarding school in the European Alps. Naturally, like most affluent kids, they don't know how lucky they are.
One of the students told me the other day she wants to be a nurse. I asked her why, and she said she thought I and the other nurses are really nice people. It's very flattering, but should I tell her the truth?
Should I tell her about the long hours, the poor pay, the shift work, abusive patients, abusive family, abusive colleagues, and the understaffed and dangerous wards?
I could. But then I should tell her...
What it's like to receive a box of chocolates from the poorest patient in the ward. What it's like to see a patient make the transition from deathly ill to walking out the front door—all because of your care.
I should tell her about the adrenaline rush as the paramedics race in with a critical trauma, and the feeling of awe and pride as you work as a team to perform a life-saving miracle.
I should tell her what it's like to give someone a heart-stopping medicine to revert their heart back to a normal rhythm (you always cross your fingers that the heart restarts).
But most of all I should tell her that if you like helping others because it's part of who you are—and because you smile when you help someone—then go ahead and be nurse.
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October 7th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Here! Here! One of the very best responses to this issues I have read! Thank you!!!
October 8th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I couldn’t have described nursing better. Thanks.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
You couyld also tell her how smart amd educated we need to be to do our jobs, how we have to be good at science, math, the humanities, AND have good people skills. You can tell her that she never needs to feel like she is in a dead end career and that the opportunites are limitless. Tell her she can continue through a PhD or work and travel with humanitarian groups, provide care to the poor, rich, young, old, any race or gender identity or work in a boarding school with kids just like herself. Tell her that nursing is the mist fun, frustrating, challenging, and rewarding career you can think of.
This is what it is to me and so many others after 30 years….and I still LOVE what I do.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Wow, how did you score a job like that?