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.
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. ❤️