Speaking for me and all who struggle daily in this business

[BackInTheGame]

when i first got into the business of health care, i had few illusions as to what it would entail. i knew that the hours were long, the rewards were few and that what i did would mostly go unappreciated. what i was unprepared for is the amount of political grandstanding that would come my way. i was unprepared to deal with physicians who would withdraw pain medications because, in their opinions, "the patient cannot be in that much pain". well when was the last time a physician was trapped inside a body that no longer worked? when was the last time a physician knew the full scope of what a stroke, or hepatitis, or any other long term debilitating injury or illness entailed? nurses are supposed to be advocates for their patients. they are supposed to be the voice of those who are unable to speak for themselves. we are the ones who tend to the sick and dying on a day to day, hour to hour basis yet we are the ones who are ignored when it comes to planning an effective attack on illness, injury, and debility. we are dismissed as simple care givers who lack the education and sophistication of doctors. administrators simply see us as obstacles standing in the way of greater profit margins. families see us, not as human beings doing the best we can under often times impossible circumstances, but as people who should drop everything because mother needs an extra blanket. we are struggling day to day to do the best job we can in taking care of immediate needs of a unit of thirty plus patients. we are human. we are fallable. we get tired. we get hungry. we get just as frustrated as everyone else does when we see the lack of personalized care that occurs as a result of understaffing. yet we cannot rant and rave as families do. we must humbly bow to pressure from doctors and families to do more, do it faster, do it better. we are not mind readers yet we're expected to have instant answers when asked "is father going to get better?" "when is the doctor going to come see mother?" we cannot say i don't know. we are not allowed by society to be human. we must be everything to everyone at all times with no exceptions. we leave work weary and worn. we wonder why we continue to show up day after day. to ourselves we wish for other careers, other floors, we wish that just once someone else could take the burden for us. that will never happen. those of us who tough it out day after day, year after year do it for one reason. we are called. we are answering a summons from someone higher than ourselves. some of us have tried finding another path but all roads lead back to where we truly belong. we are the chosen. we have been called to sacrifice ourselves. we sacrifice our backs, our feet, our minds, and our hearts to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. all any of us asks in return is a kind word, a sincere smile, and the two greatest words we could ever imagine hearing........ thank you.

[Kymmi]

Excellent post. I do believe that each and every one of us has had days when we say "I cant do this anymore" and we do sit and wonder why in the world do we put our bodies and our minds through this day in and day out. I know somewhere someone out there will say they enjoy their job each and everyday but I would be skeptical. For the most part I do enjoy what I do otherwise I wouldn't continue to do it however we're all human as your post says and being human gives us the full emotions that go along with nursing and life in general. I know that I often times feel in the crossfire between physicians, families, patients and adminstration but it is that 1 out of 100 time that I know I made a difference in someone's life that keeps me going. Its the smile from a patient or helping a family cope thru illness and death that makes all the other stuff involved in my job worth it.

[BackInTheGame]

thanks. wrote this after having "one of those days". tonight though i got pulled from my normal duties to patient care and let me tell you, it was fun. we have one fella who has end stage colon cancer with mets everywhere imaginable. usually he's our "problem child" but tonight he had us all laughing until our sides ached. it's amazing how those we try to heal end up healing us just when we need it most.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Heartfelt post....I think many here can easily relate and feel your pain. I see you are relatively new here. Welcome to allnurses.com.