What you get for nurses week

Jan how did you feel about that? Did you still feel with what was done that you were special? A nurse that has your experience should be treated like gold- I did not feel the gold- but know one thing- YOU ARE GOLD! Thanks for all your hard work!

What I like to see is a special note of thanks and someone to make the nurse feel they count! That is coming from a woman that has had 17 surgeries. 16 years in nurse recruiting and staffing.

Thank you!



Actually, I received this in my email the other day, a little late for Nurses' Week, but I willl share it with my coworkers...

"You are my connection with PICU so I decided to take advantage of this access by sending this message to the unit through you. I am constantly amazed by the job you all do. It was an honor to spend so much time with the staff. An honor I would rather not have been able to access but still an honor. I have nothing but the greatest respect for the job that you all do and the amazing practical but compassionate way you accomplish your feats.

I was at the park the other day and STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue) flew over head. I could not help but think that PICU staff may be on board busy saving some little one's life. To risk your lives by traveling frequently on various airplanes and helicopters only adds to my admiration for you all. To have the room ready for the new addition and with staff standing by is heroic.

I read the headlines in the newspapers and feel for the pain of the children and parents who I know you are now caring for. For me it is paper information coupled with my knowledge gained of PICU. For you it is another life and death challenge that you more often than not are successful at. I grieve for the parents of the child who was lost on Saturday as a result of the ATV accident but I also grieve for you, the staff, that have to deal in private with your own feelings, while you help the parents as much as possible deal with theirs."

It came from the grandmother of a former patient, someone I now consider a friend. We also got an email from the physician who bought the TV, reminding us that what we do matters and that he (at least) recognizes how hard we work and how skilled and professional we are. He is a great source of affirmation for us because he never fails to let us know he believes that without our contributions the outcomes our hospital brags so proudly about would not be possible, even if no one else does. For him, I would walk through fire. The rest, I wouldn't spit on if they were ON fire.

For me, to hear a parent say to me (as happened yesterday), "I'm so glad you're here. Now I can go home and sleep", means more than any gift TPTB could conceive of. That this mom trusted me implicitly with her most prized possession, her handicapped son, enough to leave him with me and take care of her own needs tells me I must be getting something right.

Got a cup and a $10.00 gift certificate at walmart. This was the first year we didn't get scissors missed them. keep miss placing them in other peoples pockets.