I'm Your Advocate

Recently I've been educating about distracted driving in the high schools to fulfill hours for my practicum course. One of the classes I was fortunate to speak in was focused on careers and future aspirations. The teacher asked me to speak a bit at the end about nursing and what it is like to be a nurse. As I started to speak I became excited. I was so proud to talk about my job that I love so much and kept coming back to the idea of being an advocate for others. I find this to be one of the most beautiful pieces of the nursing profession. 

Advocacy in nursing comes in so many different forms. On someone's worst day I have the ability to be their voice and advocate for best practice and excellent care. As an educator I have the ability to advocate for my students and support their growth and development. As a relief charge I get to advocate for my nurses in the craziness of our daily work.

When I first began to transition into a relief charge position I was curious as to if I would like not having my own load of patients. Would I miss that patient connection? Would I lose a par of that patient advocacy? Surprisingly I found quite the opposite.

Every shift as leadership we are asked to round on patients in the department. How has your care been? How have we made you feel cared for as person? I was running around trying to check tasks off my daily list when I found myself rounding on a tearful young woman. She was the daughter of a patient who had been living with her for an extended period of time. She had become his caregiver. I sat down to ask my questions starting with “how has your care been today?” This sweet woman broke in to tears as she explained the disease process that took over her father and her fear that she could no longer handle his medical needs. She voiced her internal struggle and how she swore she would never put him in a nursing home, but was realizing right now things were just too much. She wept and I had the honor of listening and allowing her to express the pent up frustration and sadness she had been harboring. I was struck by her honestly and her devotion to family. She was such a strong, kind, and selfless woman, and her father, too weak to speak much for himself, simply looked towards her and smiled. He loved her and the connection these two shared was just beautiful. As he went off for a scan I discussed options with the daughter. I applauded her dedication and the love she possessed and reminded her that she was only one person. She was only one person and her superhuman strength and love could only take her so far. I connected her with our case manager and wished her luck. By the time I walked out of the room we had spent a solid 20 minutes together.
On a busy day as a nurse there is no way I would have been able to sit for that long without being called away to another room. This was a type of patient and family interaction I had not anticipated being in leadership. This was the ability to advocate for the awesome care my nurses provide in addition to giving someone who needs it the space to talk during a life changing event. This advocacy is my favorite part of nursing. Advocating for my staff, for my patients, and for their families. While a charge shift poses different challenges and responsibilities throughout the day, it still provides fulfilling interactions that help reach and care for people in a way I didn’t anticipate. Perspective change is always valuable and this new leadership opportunity has allowed me to open my eyes and see emergency care through a different lens that ultimately broadens my perspective.