I’m on vacation visiting a friend who I first met when I was 8 years old. We’ve been close friends ever since. His wife asked me how I became a nurse. Well, I was 19 looking for a job and had a choice between reading water meters and becoming a psychiatric nurses’ aide. Reading water meters paid more, but I would have had to cut my shoulder length hair. I chose to become a psychiatric nurses aide. The Director of Nurses guided me to nursing school. My old friend’s mom, counseled me to become a doctor. “No” I said, “I’d rather take care of people.” My friend’s mom was a social worker, she valued taking care of people.
So I’ve been a nurse for 40 years – a rich and wonderful profession. I’ve had a meaningful and never-dull career working in home care, physical rehabilitation, emergency, acute,and intensive care, consulting, quality improvement, managed care, and informatics.
Here’s to vacations! We all need a break – patients, caregivers, nurses, and leaders. Give us all a break. Please!
