Nurse Appreciation Week: May 6 - May 12

Being that it is Nurse Appreciation Week (okay, I think the official name is National Nurses Week, but I like the appreciation one better!), I'd like to take a moment to mention a few of the nurses most important to me.

Nurse Aunties, I am so glad I got to follow in your shoes in being a member of our family and going into the rewarding profession of nursing.  Thank you for being inspirations to me, and for listening to me whine all throughout nursing school (when I was lucky enough to see you ladies)!

Nurse Clinical Instructor, it was the clinical rotation in which you were my instructor that I truly went from being a student to being a nurse.  You assigned me to follow the nurse who pushed me past my comfort zone, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Nurse Learn From Me, you are the reason I stopped being perpetually nervous during clinicals.  You pushed me to just jump in and "just do it," and didn't give me time to think about all the reasons I was scared.  You made an 8-hour shift fly by like it was 8-minutes long, and for the first time in nursing school you made me feel like I was actually doing something instead of just filling up hospital hallways.

Nurse Sarcasm, you inspired me throughout all of nursing school.  Your eager attitude to try everything, and your refusal to just sit and watch the hours tick by at clinicals helped shape me into the nurse I am today.  You held my hand until I was ready to venture off on my own, but I always knew if I needed help, you were right around the corner if I hollered.  You allowed me to follow your footsteps, even though I know it annoyed you at times.  You comforted me when I felt like quitting, and you encouraged me when I thought I couldn't do it anymore.  I've said it before, and I will continue to sing your praises - without you, I don't know how I would have passed my nursing school courses, gotten through clinicals, graduated school, or what kind of nurse I would have ended up.

Former Fellow Nursing Students, I always knew I would never miss The School That Won't Be Named, but what I didn't know is how much I would miss so many of you.  The camaraderie we felt when we banned together to fight for our grades, argued against the insanely disorganized bureaucracy of our school, or just helped each other through the personal battles that didn't stop just because we went into the demanding nursing program, is a bonding I think lasts a lot longer than the bruises from our IV certification class.  I hope everyone is doing well, and on their way to their ultimate goals, whatever those may be.

Do you know a nurse that deserves some appreciation?  

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