Fellow nurse here. Stepped away from the bedside after 8 years in Oncology/Hospice in order to be home with my children full-time. It’s been one year out of patient care but reading this takes me right back into those sacred moments. Words and thoughts and holding the pain of another - emotionally and physically - only known to myself, my patients, and the Lord who alone gives life.
Your story about the incongruity of laughter at the moment of sedation is a perfect illustration of the struggle between self-preservation (you’re watching a human skill being drilled into) and respect for the humanity of another. I am thankful I got to spend time in my specialty because maintaining dignity was always of considerable importance. We didn’t do it perfectly, but it was at least a shared value throughout the hierarchy.
Thank you so much for this. You give voice to the gravity of our work, which many among us cannot articulate even mentally. You are a gift to your patients, I am sure of it.
Thank you for this, Rebecca. I'm a fellow nurse, as well, long-retired. Though my family and close friends still rely on my years of nursing practice, I'm also much more the patient these days. My years in nursing has given me greater compassion for both my professional and family caregivers - a compassion I try to help my family and friends adopt in their relationships with doctors and nurses, as well. Again, thank you for beautifully articulating these sacred moments.
Fellow nurse here. Stepped away from the bedside after 8 years in Oncology/Hospice in order to be home with my children full-time. It’s been one year out of patient care but reading this takes me right back into those sacred moments. Words and thoughts and holding the pain of another - emotionally and physically - only known to myself, my patients, and the Lord who alone gives life.
Your story about the incongruity of laughter at the moment of sedation is a perfect illustration of the struggle between self-preservation (you’re watching a human skill being drilled into) and respect for the humanity of another. I am thankful I got to spend time in my specialty because maintaining dignity was always of considerable importance. We didn’t do it perfectly, but it was at least a shared value throughout the hierarchy.
Thank you so much for this. You give voice to the gravity of our work, which many among us cannot articulate even mentally. You are a gift to your patients, I am sure of it.
These words mean so much to me because I know that you *know*. Thank you for your encouragement.
Beautifully written Becca. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. ❤️
Thank you for this, Rebecca. I'm a fellow nurse, as well, long-retired. Though my family and close friends still rely on my years of nursing practice, I'm also much more the patient these days. My years in nursing has given me greater compassion for both my professional and family caregivers - a compassion I try to help my family and friends adopt in their relationships with doctors and nurses, as well. Again, thank you for beautifully articulating these sacred moments.
Beautifully written. Thank you for revealing the heart behind the scrubs.