My Future Patient,

I often wonder where I'll be working and who you may be. Maybe you'll be an elder, whose hand I'll hold as you take your last breaths. Maybe you'll be a newborn that I have the honor of helping birth into this beautiful world. No matter who you may be, I promise you will always be more than a diagnosis and a room number.

One of the most important things I have learned about nursing surprisingly isn't medicine. Sure, nurses are there to take vitals, establish a reason for seeking healthcare, review health history, systems, and lifestyles, and give a nursing diagnosis, but it's so much more than that. It's establishing a rapport and a trusting relationship with each and every patient.

As I reflect on all the times I have personally come into contact with a nurse, I think of how they treated me. Did they seem like they we're just there because they had to be? Or did I feel like they truly wanted to help and comfort me? I want to be that comforting nurse. The nurse that remembers each and every one of your names. The nurse that will have a pleasant conversation, that isn't medical related, just to get your mind off whatever reason you are visiting for. The nurse that will be there to act as family, when you may not have any. The nurse that will advocate for you, when nobody else may be listening. That nurse that you will always remember.

If you are feeling sick, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are completely healed. If you are feeling like your time is up, I will do everything in my power to make you feel as loved as possible as your life comes to an end. If you are feeling worthless, I will do everything in my power to make you realize you deserve to be here just as much as everyone else. If you are feeling hopeless, I will do everything in my power to have you not give up.

I am writing this letter in hopes that you are aware nursing will be more than just a job for me. It will be about being able to show you love even in your weakest moments, forgive you for any wrongs you may have made, and ultimately make a difference in your life. I will never be "just a nurse." I will be your nurse.

Victoria