Nurse: The first person you see after saying, “Hold my beer and watch this.”

National Nurses Week is an annual commemoration of nurses and the nursing profession. It begins on May 6th and ends on May 12th — the birthday of Florence Nightingale, often referred to as the “mother of modern nursing.”

A nurse is one who opens the eyes of a newborn and gently closes the eyes of a dying man. It is indeed a high blessing to be the first and last to witness the beginning and end of life.
~ Unknown

Nursing is consistently ranked as the most trusted profession. When most people think of nurses, they picture compassionate caregivers and tireless workers. What many don’t realize is that nurses provide the majority of direct skilled patient care. We outnumber physicians nearly three to one, and it is often the expertise and clinical judgment of nurses that guide critical decisions — decisions that can mean the difference between life and death.

Nurses have the privilege of holding the safety of precious lives in their hands. There is no intuition stronger than that of a nurse.
~ Anonymous

I entered nursing as a career change when Luke was a toddler. It remains one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself. I love my job. I am proud of what I do. I feel deeply fortunate to care for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. I am equally grateful to work alongside an extraordinary team of nurses and nursing assistants on my unit.

This post is dedicated to them.

Happy Nurses Week!

I’ve come to the realization that I’ll touch anything — as long as I have gloves on.
~ Unknown

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