Becoming a Registered Nurse was one of the best decisions I ever made to date. This week I will be celebrating another Nurse’s Week and I can tell you first hand, it never gets old to me. I LOVE my profession. I pride myself in the career I have chosen. Not because I think we are better (by no means) BUT because the skills and great knowledge we all possess. It is a honor to love what I do because I know so many do not share that same love. Even on my worst days (and yes Lord, we have bad days) I can still wear my Nurse badge with honor and pride… that’s a lot to say!

We are a profession of true RESILIENCE! We get up every shift, ready to take on whatever comes our way. We are flexible. We are ever-growing. Healthcare continues to change and somehow we are always ahead and ready for the next skill or the next intervention. We continue to give of ourselves without giving a thought to it. We listen to your ailments. We advocate for you behind the scenes, even if that means getting slack from the doctors. We feel your pain. We put ourselves in the shoes of others. We leave our families on holidays just to take care of your family and most of the time, we do it without complaining! We work long hours until our feet hurt, but this is simply a norm to us. We sometimes get over looked as you “thank” others for saving you without knowing, it was the Nurse that first noticed the problem. We are over-protective of you without you even realizing it. We vow to protect you and do no harm. We see you at your worst and still carry on our duties. We celebrate with you when you defeat a disease. We joke with you just to get a smile. We brainstorm on ways to make you happy when life gives you lemons. We fight back tears as we see you cry. We lend our shoulder to all because we understand. We are always thinking what’s in the best interest of you even with handing you a simple pill. We put aside our own problems each day (and we have problems, believe me) to come in to help with yours. When the day has drained us, we still come home to handle the responsibilities of being a wife, a husband, a mother, a father, a friend … and although tired, we find it in us to give out more! We take on roles as administration, educators, bedside staff, practitioners, researchers to ensure patient safety, advocacy, and satisfaction is at the forefront. We are more than bedpans and medication passes … To all the Nurses, thank you for all you do! Thank you for your dedication, your resilience and your sacrifices! Happy Nurse’s Week!!