This is National nurses Week,

so tonight I want to do a little piece on nursing. Nurses are such giving people,if they work in a facility, image they put their career  in front of family on the holidays and weekends. In an office, they too are often in situations where they can not get up and leave their shifts.It is a hard job. My favorite nursing ,for me, was in the hospital setting. I went into nursing to be with people in their time of need, when they had no one else, or when they were alone during frightening times.

Since I have been out of the hospital,

I have done office nursing in an Internal Medicine office and in a Family Practice, which I have also loved, and done as a second job at times. I have taken extra courses and am a legal nurse consultant with an associates in paralegal, and I have worked on the insurance/payor side since 1995. So I have had a variety of nursing, and when I have to visit a loved one or a friend in the hospital, I still miss that type of nursing.

Oh , it can be bull work at times,

and it can be heart wrenching at times, but the hospital world in a unique experience. There is so many venues and so many opportunities, and it is difficult to explain how people act, when no matter what their financial status out in the world is, and no matter where they live and work, once admitted to the hospital every patient becomes similar. They are given similar gowns, eat off cafeteria trays, get awakened at all hours as the nurses follow the doctors orders to take vital signs, or administer medications, do dressing changes, assess a wound or patients condition.

I love going the extra mile for my patients.

Elderly patients, I would give them a sticker of something cute- they loved it. I would offer back rubs, and tried to always answer the call lights promptly. I would wash their hair, or figure a way to let them take a shower, if their doctor said it was okay. I would try to get to know them as I worked on their room.

I fluffed pillows as I was assessing them, and always tugged wrinkles out of their sheets as I stood up after emptying their foley.

I took great pride when a family knew me.

I just loved helping people. Believe it or not, I am really tempted to try to pick up a Saturday evening shift a couple times a month, but am hesitant to do this until after we are settled with this move.

My wishes and thanks go out to all my sister and brother nurses. I admire you, I honor you, and no matter what type of nursing you do, I appreciate you. Be safe, be careful, and be proud of what you do. Love Cindy