I never thought I'd be a nurse. I had no great yearning to heal the sick and comfort the dying. I went into nursing because I thought "Why not?"
After twelve years I don't know what else I could be. I can't imagine not knowing what I do about looking after others. I've even forgotten what it must be like to not know about health and not have an understanding of illness.
What I have found is that I can deal with many sad and traumatic events, and even though it makes me sad, I often can keep myself separate from it. But there are times that really do get to me, and it's often the unexpected things. Let me explain...
I remember quite a number of years ago an elderly Scotsman called Mr Donaldson. All the time he was in hospital he never had a visitor. His wife had died several years earlier and his two children lived abroad. He hadn't seen a family member in three years. It wasn't that they weren't close, it was just that neither sons or father could afford to visit each other.
Mr Donaldson had a bowel resection and the formation of a colostomy. He went home two weeks after his surgery. When he went home he looked reasonable well, although understandably weary.
It was near christmas time, and in my part of the world Christmas means summer. This Christmas the whole town was on the street watching as the national pipe band competitions took place. For a whole two hours pipe band after pipe band filed by dressed in full Scottish regalia, kilt dagger and all.
I was enjoying the parade, and then I saw Mr Donaldson, standing in a shadowed doorway at the back of the crowd. He looked even more pale than when he left. He looked even more thin and stooped. I was close enough to see what looked like moisture in his eyes. His eyes never left those of the pipers. He was wearing a kilt.
I found myself near tears. It felt like this parade was just for Mr Donaldson, as if it was some final farewell.
Another week later and Mr Donaldson was back in hospital. He was anemic, his colostomy wasn't working, and he was coughing up a lung. They took him to the operating room where he died.

this is so sad, I feel sorry for Mr. Donaldson and I didn't even know him. You have a gift for story telling.

Thank you God for wonderful caring nurses. My mother was in a LTC before she died. She was a terrible mother and I did not visit her for many many reasons. BUT, she was gracious and talkative with her nursing staff and they took excellent care of her. When I care for someone whose family can not visit, I understand that maybe they just can't.

It's nurses like you that make me proud that I've chosen to enter the field of nursing. It is our ability to connect with others, to feel their feelings, and see their humanity that allows us to make nursing more than that the sum of its parts. As a nursing student, I find that empathy can't be taught as much as it can be developed. The fact that you could see into this man's soul, watch the universe acknowledge his love of the music, and let him love his fellow humans makes you a richer, deeper woman (or man, I guess.) And by sharing it with us, we've come to know him too. Thank you for passing on the love you felt.

Sandy52 said:

Thank you God for wonderful caring nurses. My mother was in a LTC before she died. She was a terrible mother and I did not visit her for many many reasons. BUT, she was gracious and talkative with her nursing staff and they took excellent care of her. When I care for someone whose family can not visit, I understand that maybe they just can't.