Privileged

I am privileged in many ways. I have a roof over my head,  a wonderful husband, a career I love, amazing family and friends...I really couldn't ask for more. These are things I try hard not to take for granted as it is so easy to do so. Last week I had the honor of reconnecting with a person I helped resuscitate at the gym in 2015 (see Dec. 2015 blog "How Faith Saved a Life").  We were asked to speak together at an educational event focused on cardiac arrest. The outline for my talk asked to share my story and to also address the following:

1. Why did you become a nurse?

2. How does nursing define you?

3. How does this story relate to your passion about nursing?

I gained a lot by taking a step back to ask myself these questions. Too often I fall in to the motions of life and forget that what I do for a living is something I love. I love people. Why did I become a nurse? ...that is another story for a future week...but, in short,  I was looking for a profession of service. I wanted my work to be meaningful to someone else. I wanted to leave my job every day knowing I made a difference in someone's life. My education path turned into nursing which has since revealed itself to me as a profession of caring in addition to teaching.

2. How does nursing define you? I don't think nursing defines me, rather who I am defines my practice. How I choose to interact with people impacts their experience. I strive to see the good in each person and treat them as if they were my family because I have a responsibility to provide the best care. I want to make a difference, I want to make someone comfortable and feel better, and I want to be a light on those dark days. Quite often there is a lot of darkness when someone is in the ER. It is not the place people plan to be when they wake up in the morning.

3. How does this story relate to your passion about nursing? My passion is for people. As I wrote my talk I realized that what I have is a gift. The knowledge, skills, and brain power necessary to practice as a nurse are gifts. But even more than being a gift, it is an absolute privilege. It is a privilege to have someone put their trust and confidence in me to care for their loved one. It is a privilege to have the skills to resuscitate or stabilize a patient. It is a privilege to be the hands and feet of Christ in my daily work. Yes, I am trained to resuscitate people and help bring them back to life. It's what I get to do on a daily basis, but it's not something that everyone is capable of doing or has the training to do. To not use my skills and to not practice to my full potential would be a rejection of the gifts I have. I have to remember that I don't "have" to go to work, but I am fortunate and have the privilege of serving my community.

Try viewing what you do as a calling and see how it changes your perspective.

I am privileged and honored to be in the profession I am. Thank you for letting me care for you.