Ten years ago, I was fortunate to meet Hope* – a senior nurse in the medical-surgical unit in a community hospital. She was kind, caring, compassionate, and god-fearing. I spent a semester with her as a nursing student trying to complete my last placement before graduation. The hospital was in the middle of an organizational change and had a recent change in their electronic health record system as well.
In one of our lunch conversations, she shared with me that she has eight years left before retirement. She has been counting down the days. The shifts had been busy, and she had me to teach while she herself was trying to learn and get used to the new system. At times, she was overwhelmed. I can see and feel her frustrations, but not once she let it show to her patients. She remained calm and always kept a smile on her face every time we see our patients. She taught me everything she can while she was my preceptor. She ensured other staffs were aware of my presence and to ensure if there was something I should observe or try she will be notified.
She also provided me with a lot of insights and words of wisdom that really helped shape the nurse I am today and how I cope with the current climate in health care.
On my last day as her student, she gave me a bible with a lovely note and a few last words of wisdom. She said, “Jeanne, you can see that nursing is getting harder and harder. Patient acuity is increasing, and help is becoming more limited. When I started nursing, I had time to give my patients a massage after bath (side note: she was still giving some patients massages post bath). Now, I can barely get lunch which I try to do because I do not want you to learn that from me. Anyways, when you get home tonight place this bible in a box or a container along with that pair of socks that the patient knit for you recently and cards you received from patients and staffs. Every time you receive a card or compliments or feedback from patients or staff place them in that box so when you get as old as me, burned out, and questioning why you do the things you do and why you should continue to care even though there seems to be less support from management – open that box and spend time reading each cards and reflect on those good days and I can guarantee you it will make you feel better because you will be reminded why you care, why you do what you do, and why you became a nurse in the first place. There is a difference between a nurse and the nurse. You don’t become a nurse because of the pay. You become a nurse because this is what you enjoy doing. Also, child please read the bible”.
A decade later, I still have not done the latter, but I still have that box with more contents now and have opened it a few times. She was right. Whenever, I have a rough day at work and felt so burned out and frustrated I reach out for that box and I instantly feel better after going through the contents. I am reminded again why I became a nurse in the first place and why I do what I do. Lastly, I absolutely agree to Suyin van Schagen’s words: “I have discovered personal gain from acts of kindness is unavoidable as, in my experience, one can’t help but feel good about being kind to someone else”.
*Name used have been changed to protect the nurse’s identity.
Original article posted on January 12, 2020 at Athabasca University class forum for NURS608.
