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The Year Of The NURSE
The Year of The NURSE
At last, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the International Year of The Nurse! - Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said:
“Nurses and midwives are the backbone of every health system: in 2020 we’re calling on all countries to invest in nurses and midwives as part of their commitment to health for all.”
When was the last time you had a nurse's support or care? Was it when she explained what the doctor had just said to you and your family that you didn't really understand? Was it when she put her arms around you for a hug when you felt alone and uncertain? Was it when she gave you advice about how to care for your loved one in a way that was easier for you or more comforting to them? Was it when she explained the complex procedure that was about to happen to you?
Nurses are everywhere and play a vital role in the workforce. We are care providers in a healthcare environment where it...
Nurses Rock!
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...
My First Experience With Death
For most people, death is something that happens at the periphery of their lives – but some of us choose to make it the focus of our careers. I knew early on I wanted to care for the sick, but my path to caring for the dying was more circuitous.
As a kid I was given a book on how to take a pulse. I loved learning to feel the beat under the skin on my wrist. I asked for the “Visible Woman” for my 10th birthday and to my delight she was delivered, complete with the optional pregnancy parts. My path was set; after high school, I decided to get an AA degree and then transfer to University of Florida for my Bachelors Degree in Nursing.
My first real job as a RN was on a medical surgical floor in the local hospital where I had the responsibility of caring for patients following surgery. One of my patients was Mr. Green, who’d had surgery for lung cancer and was in and out of the hospital. In those days there was little to be done for people with...
