Therefore, my dear
brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves
fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain.
~ 1 Corinthians 15:58
~
Many people would say that nursing is a job just like all
other jobs and a profession which nurses made the choice to enter, nurses make
good money and can live comfortably, don’t have to worry with a job as there
are many nursing jobs, and nursing has some many options.
And these statements are true but nursing is so much
more. It’s a calling…my calling. A calling that as nurse’s week comes to an
end, I’ve reflected on. Over the past
several weeks, I’ve had very sick patients, rapid response calls,
days with three discharges and four admissions, patients with pain meds every
hour, and the list could go on and on. I’ve
left at the end of long shifts wondering if I really made a difference for my
patients and if I did my best are letting people see Jesus in my place. Through God’s grace he used this week to remind
me nursing is a privilege and calling.
I’ve seen
death and worse…its messy, its hard, its gross, but most of all, its brokenness
at its finest. This week I reflected on
why I keep coming back. The answer is
being able to see beyond all the sadness, secretions, chaos, complaining and
see that this work is so much more than completion of tasks. It’s a unique position of being able to let
people see Jesus as the Great Physician through your action of listening,
touching, validating and soothing.
I never truly understood the power of touching until the day
I hugged a patient with AIDS. Watching
an adult burst into tears just because you offered a hug and told them that you
cared about them and shared the love of Jesus.
It’s heartbreaking and will bring you to tears at the thought of someone
feeling so worthless but this is God’s unending Grace and Love through
Jesus! And that, my friends is glorious
and makes the call to nursing worth it!
I’ve learned in my five years of nursing that listening is
as much of a skill as starting an IV. While
gaining competence is important, doing nursing well is more like participating
in an intricate dance, relating and responding to my patients with humility and
patience. Even though many days are
difficult, focus on what is beautiful and scared in our nursing career, occasionally
catching a glimpse of what lies just below the surface of our ordinary days of
caring for our patients.
We are called…and we are answering.
