Grateful 008

I don't have a picture for today, actually I don't think I will ever have a picture of today's 'grateful'.   Because today I am grateful for my job and there will never be a picture to capture everything my job entails.  Completely unpredictable, no two days are ever the same.  I go to sleep at night not knowing who the next day will bring, what the next day will bring or how I will face it.  I feel there is a sense of security in that, being completely oblivious to the day ahead.  Besides, who would want to know that their day ahead involves holding a grieving relative while they cry, cleaning the vomit from the walls/desk/floor/ other various objects or  being belittled by a 'know it all' surgeon all because you asked something for the benefit of THEIR patient. 

Us nurses, we complaint, A LOT.  All the time in fact. We're very good at complaining.  Seldom do we ever voice how wonderful our job really is.  Mostly because we're far too busy, knee deep in *insert pun intention here*.   So today i'm going to say it, I LOVE being a nurse.  Love it. Sure I complain too.  Like the fact that the other day, I got to eat my breakfast at lunch time, or that some days I don't even see the walls of the staff toilet.  Yes, we are THAT crazy busy.  But in amongst the aggressive relatives, the shift inflicted urinary tract infections and numerous bodily fluid handling, I love that I am solely responsible for the care of my patients.  I love that they can trust me to nurture them and provide them with the empathy they deserve.  I treat every one of my patients as if they were my own mother.  (God help the nurse who one day will be giving care to my my mother, because I would be the aggressive relative from HELL).

Today my patient asked me how I could possibly function at home after the whirlwind of a day that he witnessed in this particular four-bedded bay.  But I do.  Somehow, after empathizing, caring, nurturing all day, I come home to my little girl running up to me and it all begins again.  A new burst of caring loving energy, this time for my family.  A dear old patient of mine, whom I will never forget once told me 'You were born to be a Nurse' while proceeding to give me the most amazing marshmallow recipe.  and although I don't really believe in that sort of thing, I soak it up and put it away in my memory.  A few special little words that help me through the worst, even to this day.

(side note: On one of our first dates, I brought Chris these home made marshmallows and he loved them! )

And when my little girl stands in front of her class and tells everyone that her mummy is a nurse, I will be proud.