I have had difficulty sorting exactly what impacted me to want to become a nurse. As I think back to some of the most singificant and traumatic times in my life, I have found that many of those times some of the individuals that were there for me were nurses. Some I can't even remember their names and some I can.
I too had a preemie. I had an emergency C section when I was 27 weeks pregnant. My daughter and I were both very sick. I didn't even get to see my daughter until almost 48 hours later because were were both so sick. One of the memories that sticks in my mind is the nurses washing my hair for me. I don't know why this impacted me so much but I can still remember these nurses' names. I ended up staying in the hospital 2 weeks and my daughter 2 months. There was a time the Doctor and Nurse came to tell us that my daughter might not live. She did! In the time we were in the hospital I watched these nurses take such good care of us. They dressed my daughter up in little tiny preemie clothes and they educated us about all the sounds and tubes and I. V.s. They always seemed warm and eagar to take care of our daughter. I felt like my daughter was in the best hands she could be in. These nurses touched my life in a way I can never pay back.
I also worked at the Psychiatric Center with nurses. I repected their skills, dedication and mission. This was very difficult work at times because some of the patients were resistant to being at this facility. For the most part, these nurses were compassionate, calm and treatment focused.
I had forgotten that when I was in middle school, I wanted to be a nurse and took advanced science and got a "C" and decided I couldn't cut it. Now more decades later that I care to share, I have been given an opportunity to proceed with the opportunity to give it a shot at becoming a nurse. Its not something that I can explain easily but it feels really right. I have had several losses in my life and people have been so giving to me. I hope this is a chance for me to give back to others.
I think my defintion of a nurse might have been at one time to say the doctor's assistant. Truely, the nurse is the one giving all the hands on care. I think the nurse helps the patient achieve their quality of life.
I think rapport with the patient, empathy, communication and solid skills and knowledge makes the best nurse. Also, being respectful and nonjudgemental. I know sometimes this is difficult.
I do not know exactly where I want to work. I loved mental health but I don't know if I want to do something new and different. I have thought I would like to work with AIDs patients. When we watched the movie And the Band Played on in Microbiology, I thought this is what I want to do. I have numerous loss issues and have thought in the past I couldn't work in this area but now in my life maybe that is where I am heading.
I have never blogged before so I am not sure that I am doing this correctly. Please bear with me!
Melinda
