Nursing: It’s a Calling

In honor of Nurses Week, we are re-running this blog post. Nurses week is May 6 to May 12 each year to coincide with Florence Nightingale’s birthday and is an opportunity to thank and recognize nurses across the country for their dedication to the profession and patients they serve.

Hug a Nurse

On Monday I sat in the lobby of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for 14 hours. For the first time, I was on the other side of the fence—waiting for a loved one to come through surgery, as has been done for me numerous times over the past four years.

It’s not a fun job, but at least I had crappy hospital food, a couch to doze on and an internet connection. You might think the patient has it the worst… but they’re under so much anesthesia that by the time they wake up they’ll think five minutes has passed and will ask when surgery starts. I’d venture to say the surgeons and nurses participating in the 12+ hour surgery have it the worst; on their feet all day, not eating, performing tasks I can’t even begin to imagine… in order to prevent and protect.

As I sat in that waiting room, I watched doctors and nurses pass by all day, and had more than a few stop to talk. I ran into at least four people who had treated me in that hospital, and they all wanted to give me a hug, say hello, and catch up. They care about what they do and the people they treat. It’s a calling.

In a roundabout way, this post is meant to be about the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk in Boston that I participated in on October 4th, 2015. As in previous years, I walked to honor those who have passed, celebrate survivors like myself, and support those that still have a fight ahead. Each year since I was treated, I have walked with my favorite nurse. This year, I walked with gratitude for those people who answer a calling to the medical profession. I would not be here without your passion for what you do. Please support me in paying it forward… hug a nurse today.

Guest blog post reprinted in a modified format by Tricia Andron, author of Normal After Cancer: View From Upside Down. Tricia is a wife and mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. Her world was turned upside down, and she was thrown into a battle for her life. Tricia has become a regular blogger who hopes to help others by sharing her story.