when God created nurses.........

[karenG]

When God Created Nurses

When the Lord made Nurses He was into his sixth day of overtime.

An angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order?

A nurse has to be able to help an injured person, breathe life into a dying person,

and give comfort to a family that has lost their only child and not wrinkle their uniform.

They have to be able to lift 3 times their own weight,

work 12 to 16 hours straight without missing a detail,

console a grieving mother as they are doing CPR on a baby

they know will never breathe again.

They have to be in top mental condition at all times,

running on too-little sleep, black coffee and half-eaten meals.

And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands...no way!"

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord,

"It's the two pairs of eyes a nurse has to have."

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. "One pair that does quick glances while making

note of any physical changes, And another pair of eyes that can look

reassuringly at a bleeding patient and say,

"You'll be all right ma'am" when they know it isn't so."

"Lord," said the angel, touching his sleeve, "rest and work on this tomorrow."

"I can't," said the Lord, "I already have a model

that can talk to a 250 pound grieving family member whose child has been

hit by a drunk driver...who, by the way, is laying in the next room uninjured,

and feed a family of five on a nurse's paycheck."

The angel circled the model of the nurse very slowly,

"Can it think?" she asked.

"You bet," said the Lord. "It can tell you the symptoms of 100 illnesses;

recite drug calculations in it's sleep; intubate, defibrillate, medicate,

and continue CPR nonstop until help arrives...and still it keep it's sense of humor.

This nurse also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with a

multi-victim trauma, coax a frightened elderly person to unlock their

door,comfort a murder victim's family, and then read in the daily paper

how nurses are insensitive and uncaring and are only doing a job."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the nurse.

"There's a leak," she pronounced.

"I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"That's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."

"What's the tear for?" asked the angel.

"It's for bottled-up emotions, for patients they've tried in vain to save,

for commitment to the hope that they will make a difference

in a person's chance to survive, for life."

"You're a genius," said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there," He said.

I thought this said it all.........................

Karen

[ayemmeff]

That's my hormones started for the rest of the afternoon!

Thanks,Karen.That's lovely.

[JNJ]

I was reading the post thinking ya, ya, ya one of those silly feel-good postings again. And including God was turning me off anyway and then . . .

I realised I had done almost every one of those things during my career. And so have most of us. Wonderful, frightening, surprising. I'm actually now considering printing it out.

Thank you.

[frannybee]

Dammit, I'd managed not to cry all day until this. Why do people post this stuff when I'm cold and alone? Think I'll put some sad songs on and succumb

Thank you Karen.

[JNJ]

So far this thread is all UK or Aussie. I'm a UK RN working 15 years in CA, USA.

[RN-PA, RN]

Beautiful, karenG! I plan to print it out to take to work and to email it to some nurse friends. Thank you!

[maggie7]

Thanks. This was so lovely. (leaking a little here)

[SingingNurse2]

That was awesome - and I for one am thrilled that you included God! If I, as a Christian am required to accept everyone elses opinion, then I feel others can respect my right to believe in God. Not trying to step on toes, just striving for respect for everyone! I hope I can be half the nurse in that story one day!

[prmenrs, RN]

I've seen this 2-3 yrs ago, probably HERE, but it did my heart good to see it today. Thank you!

[CraftyLPN]

I have to admit I have more than a leak...downright flood!! Thanks for posting that...

You ever get those days when you wondered why you ever got into nsg? This tells you EXACTLY why...ThANKS AGAIN

[A Kitty RN]

Staff has been stressed alot at work lately- I am printing it out and bringing it in today! Thank you ahead of time from all of us-- I know they will enjoy it. May everyone have a blessed day!!!!!!

[sixes]

Hope you don't' mind but i printed your poem. It does a heart good.

I'm going to fancy it up and put it in a frame

Thank you