Today is National Nurse Appreciation Day and I absolutely had to take the time to highlight and celebrate all the nurses out there! A nurses responsibilities include serving as a caregiver, an educator, coordinating care, administering medications, and serving as an advocate, just to name a few.
Nurses are often the main people we come in contact with in a medical setting. They check us in, they ask us what symptoms we are experiencing, and in some cases, they will even hold your hand during a painful or scary experience. Nurses will advocate for you when your family is not there, they will make sure that you or your loved one is comfortable, and they will even remember you if you are a frequent visitor.
I grew up in an intergenerational household, which featured my mom, my dad, my granny, and me. Growing up, I understood what it meant to live with someone who had disabilities and I immediately recognized the importance of nurses. I'd been in more hospital rooms and emergency departments than many people my age. I had administered aid and called emergency services when I saw the symptoms of a stroke in my granny on multiple occasions. I had seen my granny recover time and time again from medical issues that would take most people out, but she always pushed through. Each time, my family was supported and cared for by nurturing nurses.
Something that always stuck with my family is how kind and at ease the nurses made our experiences, despite how overwhelming and devastating they seemed in the moment. They provided us with extra blankets for the nights that we would spend all day and night and sometimes weeks in the hospital room. They were kind and caring with my granny, even when she wouldn't always do right, lol.
Nurses do not get enough credit for their work. They work extremely long hours, they have endless patients, and the work is not always pleasant. I often think about the tasks that nurses had to take on during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When no families could enter the hospitals or even the waiting rooms with their loved ones, nurses stood in the gap. They were caretakers, they facetimed and communicated with family members, and for some, they were the last person to comfort them (sorry to go dark).
Not all superheroes wear capes, but some definitely wear scrubs! I want to extend my personal thanks to all the nurses out there. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed and the healthcare field would not function without each and everyone of you. I hope that this week you feel all the love and appreciation for your work. I know it's not always easy, but you make it look that way! Here's to YOU! 👏🏾
With lots of love,
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