Celebrating the Numbers
The American Nurses Association (ANA) estimates that there are approximately four million registered nurses in the United States. This number does not includes licensed vocational/practical nurses who contribute countless hours of care to patients. The theme for National Nurses Week this year is ‘4 Million Reasons to Celebrate’ to highlight our positive impact on healthcare.
This gives me another opportunity to wish you Happy Nurses Week. As you may already know, I have been a nurse for more than 50 years and I am still excited to say “I am a nurse”, specifically, I am an advanced practice registered nurse. I have also been a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and can say each level of licensure is valuable and brings something to the table related to patient care.
My Recent Experience
I want to share an experience that reinforced my pride about being a nurse. Since I have limited experience in the acute care arena, I was most impressed with the level of care I recently received as a patient. The RNs I met from admission to discharge were professional and showed compassion. I’m not talking about basic clinical skills, but the softer skills that can make a hospital stay pleasant or unbearable.
While I was trying to decide if I wanted ‘pain medication’, the RN engaged in a dialogue of pros and cons but made it clear she would work with my decision. Instead of just telling me what I needed to do all of the nurses took time to encourage, work with my desires, and support my decision. Oh, did I mention that I did not tell them that I was a nurse. My paperwork simply said I was retired. If this is the level of care they always provide, they truly reflect the reasons we become nurses. These registered nurses never seemed rushed. They allowed me to set the pace. Its important to say that they were very positive in health teaching, making suggestions in a most caring manner. They acknowledged my anxiety, then helped me work with it.
Thank you
It was eventually revealed that I was a RN. They used that information as an opportunity to engage professionally. As we talked, if their unit phone rang, they handled the call in a way that was very professional and did not violate HIPAA. We talked about how nursing has changed, why they became nurses, and they listened to my story. These RNs made me proud to be in this profession. Though this is a nurse week blog, it is certainly an opportunity to reflect on what motivated each of us to become nurses. It also allows me to take my hat off to my peers. The two RNs I want to particularly acknowledge are Joell and Mariam. You are award winning RNs and I am happy to have met you and had you for ‘my nurse’.
HAPPY NURSES WEEK to all