Where would we be without the nurses?
I know we look to the doctors to come-up with creative ways to treat cancer. We look to the doctors to be aggressive. If a treatment fails, we look to the doctors to come-up with a Plan B that is equally as good, if not better than Plan A. The doctors are the trained specialists we lean on for our medical guidance, but where would we be without the nurses?
The nurses, highly trained as well, provide us with a soft landing when we crumble to the ground in cancer world. When we first enter the doors of this strange and scary place, our nurses are there, reaching out with a steady hand and an open heart. How do they find the room in those hearts, to fit us all in? They encourage us to share our fears with them. The questions they ask, aren’t just about the meds, but instead, they want to know how we’re feeling!
Their support is in place to help us deal with what we’re going to face down the road too. They are smart enough to know that sometimes just talking about our every day lives, anything to get us off the topic of cancer works wonders. And, sometimes, it’s just a smile at the right time that takes away the worry and the fear.
They give us a helping hand by just being there.
As I was observing in a clinic the other day, I watched a nurse work her magic on a couple so stressed and stunned they had landed in a cancer center. They kept saying “How did this happen to us?” We’ve all been there.
Nurses are born with tools the rest of us don’t carry.
It’s just my opinion, but I don’t know hwere we’d be without them.
Mar 17, 2011 @ 21:58:59
My daughter had to spend several weeks of her senior year of high school in the hospital. It was a very difficult time, but the care and professionalism of the nurses made her stay a lot easier. When my daughter started feeling better the nurses who cared for her understood that her needs extended beyond the clinical requirements of a medical facility. Some of the rules were relaxed. Classmates were allowed to just hang out and an occasional, weekend pizza party was acceptable. The young nurses, both male and female, made my daughter feel comfortable and not so isolated. One special nurse supervisor made a habit of making a late night trip to my daughter’s room just to comb her hair and to talk with her about any concerns. Today my daughter is a passionate RN. She is dedicating her life to healing on the front lines. In addition to my daughter’s calling, my younger sister,after years of raising a family, will be graduating from nursing school this spring. Nurses are a special blessing.The nurses who cared for my wife during her experience with cancer certainly made the road a lot easier to travel. I can still remember their soft words and compassionate care.
Mar 19, 2011 @ 09:58:15
What a lovely post Ned. And what a lovely daughter you must have. And thank God for those who go out of their way to make such a difference in a young person’s life. It makes all the difference in the world when someone reaches out and touches another in such a special way.
When I was pretty young (16), I worked in a tumor clinic at Temple Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. There was a young nurse that I met who was a former cancer patient who had been treated by my doctor as a child. (YES!!! There were SOME cures way back then (1956-1958)!!!! She was so affected by her experience that she, too, determined to become a nurse when and if she grew up. The medical field was much blessed by her determination and by your daughter’s as well. Here’s hoping that others will follow in their footsteps!!
Mar 17, 2011 @ 21:14:23
Just dropping in with a quick hello, Laurie. Have subscribed for auto-feed. Thank you for arranging for a new home for us all. ~ Mo