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Nurses Rock!

It’s National Nurses Week! I say, let’s pause to offer up a “thank you” to a nurse who made a difference in our lives – like the night nurse in the ICU who cared for my father and took time out to call me when he took a turn for the worse; “I just wanted you to know”, she said.  Or the hospice nurse who was so kind and patient with my brother and me when we knew there was nothing more to do for Mom but be present in our love for her.  Nurses make a difference.

Did you know that nurses have been the most trusted professionals in America for 17 straight years? In the 2019 national Gallup poll, 82% of Americans rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “high” or “very high.” Year after year, nurses are considered the most compassionate professionals over all other workers, even clergy and grade school teachers.

How can that be?  In a world where trust and truth-telling are on the...

I am a nurse.  I still define myself as a nurse, even though I have not tended to a patient in that role for many years.  I renew my license every two years (just in case this consulting gig doesn't work out), and I still think like a nurse in terms of how I assess nearly all situations: What is the problem, what are the contributing factors, and what are the options for solutions? What action is the best for all concerned, and how can I protect the dignity of the patient (or in my case, my client), while respecting their choices and decisions, and hold in confidence all information entrusted to me?

This is the one week a year we set aside to acknowledge the women and men who accept the (updated) version of the Florence Nightingale Pledge, which says in part, "I...pledge to care for the sick with all my skill and the understanding I possess, without regard to race, creed, color, politics or social status, sparing no effort to preserve quality of life, alleviate suffering...