Nurses as Heroes

It’s National Nurse’s Week. As a nurse, I’ve never seen so much attention brought to the profession as now. A pandemic has brought the nursing profession to the attention of the media, which has brought it to the viewers’ attention.

It is a fact that nurses are front line workers in the pursuit of health and healing. It is true that they care for the very sick, no matter the cost to themselves. I just want to mention that this is not a new focus of nurses. We have always done these things. We take care of you no matter what. We don’t know what is wrong with you when  you come in the door. We have cared for H1N1, tuberculosis, whooping cough, meningitis, rotavirus, MRSA, VRE and so many more. Truly I’ve seen those in my profession to wiggle more about seeing a bed bug….

We also hold the hand of the dying. We cry with the family of those that just passed away. We help calm the anxious and encourage that one more step to help build endurance. We feed those who cannot feed themselves. We help people have dignity who can no longer control their functions. We laugh at other nurses about things that aren’t ordinarily funny, but we are coping with the day.

I have clocked out and gone back to a patient room and held his hand until his family got there, because he had gotten disturbing news and he didn’t need to be alone. I know other nurses that have done similar things. I and some co-workers have collected money to buy groceries for the families of trauma victims. We have been honorary pall bearers for those that we have taken care of for a long time. There is so much more than starting IVs, giving medications, dressing wounds and calling physicians. It is a calling. It is a job of the heart. I am proud to be nurse.