Dear Nurses,
Nurses get too much. Nurses receive too much stress. Nurses receive too much misplaced anger. Nurse receive too much literal crap. You, as a nurse, get so much that you don't deserve. You don't deserve to be yelled at for terrible things that are outside of your control. You don't deserve to be treated as a mindless servant. You don't deserve to feel like you don't matter or make a difference in the world because you're "just a
You deserve so much more.
Nurses are sometimes put into situations that are not ideal. Nurses perform back-breaking work to care for their patients. Nurses are well-educated, dedicated, passionate, loving, caring and fearless individuals who deserve to be treated as the warriors that they are.
I worked as a Patient Care Technician for a short time last year. I learned a lot and experienced a great deal of life-changing moments. I went into the position hoping to confirm that nursing was my destined career field. I discovered it was not. That is not to say that I did not thoroughly enjoy my entire experience working in that environment. I was given the opportunity to work with a fantastic managing staff, a dedicated nursing staff, and a friendly support staff. I consider many of those people great friends, and I am even still in contact with some of them. I enjoyed learning about and performing the duties of my title, but the best part of the whole experience was the wonderful people to got to work with, especially the nurses.
I met nurses that have been in the field for decades, and nurses that were fresh from their licensing. I met nurses who have families to care for, and I met nurses who work for the love of it. I met nurses who are women, and I met nurses who are men. Above all, every single one of these nurses that I met have changed my life.
Every nurse that I met was so helpful and patient with me when I was adjusting to the job. They answered all my questions, and discussed my possible future in the field. All of the nurses were great teachers and would take time to explain what they were doing while I watched because they knew I was eager to learn.
Nurses are wonderful human beings that deserve to be celebrated. Recently, a contestant in the Miss America 2016 pageant performed an original monologue about an experience that she had with a patient while working as a nurse. Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, is a Registered Nurse who graduated as valedictorian of her nursing class from Grand View University. She did not win the pageant, but she has created a stir all over the world. She is the perfect example of a nurse. She, and all of the nurses like her, deserve to be celebrated.
Watch her monologue here:
You deserve parades, medals, and parties. You deserve better pay and more respect. You are appreciated. You are wonderful. You are loved.
Love,
A Friend to Nursing
