Thank You, Nurses!
So I'm sitting here wanting to write something about yet another Nurses Week and all I can think of this time is thank you.
I want to thank you for being magnificent human beings. Some of you are truly angels, some are advocates. Others are warriors, role models, mentors, leaders, and innovators. Most of you want what's best for the patients, others want what's best for the profession, and some want both.
I can say without any hesitation at all that I believe nurses are the most interesting people in the world. No one else can ever know what we do, or why we do it. No one else can ever know what drives us, motivates us, or guides us. It's certainly not for the money, or the ever-shrinking benefits!
We are often mistreated, not only by our patients, but by our own, yet we continue to show up, day after day.
I am one of the lucky ones who always knew that nursing was exactly what I was put here to do. And as I wind down my hospital career after 40-plus years, I will look back and remember the wonderful events that kept me going all those years. Every day there was a new challenge, a new story, and a new life affected. Yes, I will miss the hospital, but my time is almost over. I'm tired, and retirement calls. But I will always be thankful knowing that I belonged to a very special group of human beings: Nurses.