If you were to ask 1,000 people their perception of caring, the answers would vary. Nurses are often associated with caring because they support, encourage, and assist patients with recovery and difficult transitions. Experiences with patients clinically vary which help to create better caregivers; no two patients are the same. Personally, I have had some touching experiences with nurses who have helped me define what caring encompasses. My grandmother battled health issues in past years that caused her to be in and out of hospital.
During these times I saw how the interactions of the nurses impacted her life. It seemed as though that cold, lifeless, mute body that was once my grandmother had turned into a cheerful, rosey cheek soul that would tell me, “this illness will not consume me.” The change in her attitude I attribute to the nursing staff. My grandmother was treated with respect and care. The nursing staff respected her and treated her as if their own grandmother was lying in that hospital bed.
That is the caring attitude that I have always tried to maintain throughout all of my volunteering and nursing jobs. I started off volunteering at nursing homes at a very young age. While I volunteered at this nursing home my main duty was to assist with patient care and activities of daily living. I interacted with various patients and their conditions varied.
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At this nursing home in particular I was known for singing, dancing with patients and in times of need would be a shoulder for them to cry on. I saw what nursing was all about and I developed a true love for performing these tasks and eventually I went on to obtain my Certified Nurse Aide License. I did the best to give my patients a positive outlook on life.
Happiness, joy, enthusiasm are contagious, and a simple smile or touch can turn around a patient’s day. Nursing is not something that comes easy and can be very overwhelming at times. Despite how my day went the night before or even right before I clocked in, I always remembered to carry myself with a positive attitude.
Since then I have advanced my studies and am currently a Licensed Practical Nurse that still maintains those same beliefs. In part, I also wanted to understand the various roles in nursing from Nurse aide to Practical nursing and from Practical nursing to Registered nursing. This is why I am going back to school to obtain my Associates degree in nursing.
Despite my position held, I will always maintain that same courteous attitude towards patients and families because I will never be able to forget the interaction between the nurses and my grandmother. I intend to become a nurse that will never give up on her patients no matter how terminal the illness, or them not wanting to get well. I will always be there encouraging them to enjoy every second of the day. I will always remain constant in that I will strive to maintain a kind and caring attitude and treat patients with dignity and respect.
In all, the art of caring is something that means various things to many people. However, in my mind a caring attitude is something that will carry a person a long way in life, impacting multiple people and families on a daily basis. In advancing my studies and gaining more knowledge on effectively caring for patients, I will work my way towards becoming a better nurse. Caring is an ongoing process that will not end, and I will conquer nursing everyday with a smile on my face.
References
- www.nursingworld.org – Official website of the American Nurses Association.
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – Research article on the impact of nurse-patient interactions on patient outcomes.
- www.nursejournal.org – Article discussing the art of caring in nursing.
- allnurses.com – Forum discussion on the importance of caring in nursing and its impact on patients.
- journals.lww.com – Journal article discussing the reasons why nurses care for their patients.
