thank you, nurses!

Published Jun 30, 2009

58 Posts

Specializes in education, school nursing, med-surg, urgent care.

when a friend asked me recently why i have decided to leave education after 17 years to go back to school to become a nurse, i gave him a quick answer--to make a difference. he pretty much balked at my reply, calling it 'cliché', but at the time i wasn't in the mood for a long discussion about my career change. however, when i got home it made me stop and think... what difference have nurses made in my life? unfortunately, i do not remember their names, and all i can offer is a heart-felt thank you, but here are just a few ways that nurses have touched my life and inspired me to do the same for others:

thank you...

to the nurses in delaware who taught the man how to care for his below-the-knee amputation. he was my father.

to the nurses in a virginia hospital who made the phone call to tell a family to come quickly because there isn't much time left. he was my grandfather.

to the nurses in a connecticut nursing home who showed respect and tenderness to an elderly woman until it was her time to go. she was my grandmother.

to the nurses in new york who were not afraid to hold the hand of an aids patient as he lay dying from ks. he was my friend.

to the nurses in florida who teach patients about the side effects of chemotherapy and tell them they are still handsome when they lose all of their hair. those patients were my step-father and step-brother.

to the nurses in ohio who comforted the man and his wife as they could do nothing but wait and watch their disfigured newborn die within a month of birth. that baby was my nephew.

to the nurses in new jersey who knew to step away and say nothing and let a woman cry after her third miscarriage. she was my neighbor.

to the nurses in washington dc who made the young man laugh after he cursed at them for inserting an ng tube at 2am. that young man was me.

to all nurses everywhere for the difference you make in the world. i can't wait to be one of you!