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I love being a nurse. It may not have been on the top of my list when I was deciding what career path to take but when I did grudgingly take it, I came to love it. It has taught me much over the years and the experiences, both good and bad, have enriched my life.
Saying that, a nurse's work can seem thankless most of the time. We work long hours with most of them spent on our feet. It's physically, mentally and emotionally-demanding and our scope of care isn't limited to merely our patients but also our doctors (and for some of them, their egos), patients' families, fellow nurses and other hospital staff. We are often at the receiving end of everyone's anger and frustration but we go on, as best we can, without losing our composure and with smiles on our faces.
Our job has evolved from being, as most people perceive, a doctor's handmaiden to a professional who is his partner. The attending physician may be the one who is officially responsible for a patient but we are the ones who are there to deliver most of the care, the ones who observe for and notice any changes and, in some settings such as the ICU, we are allowed to make certain independent medical decisions. For me though, the best part of our job is being there to give comfort and support to a patient and his family as they go through a stressful time. It's always fulfilling to go home at the end of a shift and feel the satisfaction of having survived a rough day and of having made a difference in someone's life whether he knows it or not. And it's even better when what we do is appreciated with two words: Thank you. :)
Mood Music: Good People by Jack Johnson