I’ve been a nurse for more than 25 years… and I can honestly say I still love being a nurse.
It is not an easy job. One can only imagine how hard it is to comfort a mother who has just lost their child and then within minutes deal with an obnoxious, arrogant patient who feels twenty minutes is too long to wait. I’ve been punched, spit on, yelled at, hair pulled, and insulted. I’ve had patients pee on my shoes, I’ve had poop in my hair, puke on my scrubs, snot on my hands, and blood pretty much everywhere.The shifts are long with mandated overtime. If the floor is busy, there may be no time for a lunch break or bathroom break. I have to always be on my “A Game” because if I get distracted, I could hurt or even kill a person. I work holidays, weekends, and night shifts. I’ve missed many family gatherings. I have disappointed my daughter so many times because “I couldn’t be there”. I’ve gone to work physically ill, physically exhausted, or emotionally distraught due to my own personal heartbreaks. Yet, I put on my happy face and work my shift.
Heck, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I walked over to the Labor & Delivery Department in the middle of my shift because I was having cramps. I gave birth to my daughter three hours later, before my shift was even over. NO… I did not go back and finish my shift. LOL. Although I am surprised the Nursing Supervisor didn’t ask.
So why do I do it? Some people will say money. Nope, that’s not it. The pay is okay, but I wouldn’t say worth all the above. Why do I do it? I do it because I care. I want to help people. I want to make this world a better place. I want to believe that somehow my kindness and caring will have an effect on humanity. I do it for the 90 year old woman who holds my hand as she takes her last breath. I do it for the little boy who needs someone to comfort him through a painful procedure. I do it because I am a NURSE.
P.S. And not just any nurse… I’m a Groovy Nurse!
