Why: Nursing

Why did I choose nursing? Because, when I looked into doing anything else I discovered that I am too much like my parents to not work in healthcare.

Why do I love nursing?

Let me tell you why...

1. I love my patients. I enjoy caring for, helping, and I love that for an entire day I get to build a relationship with them, I am their advocate and at times I am fortunate enough to become friends with them. I enjoy breezing in and out of their rooms and perching on the edge of a chair to talk with them and answer questions. I try to always wear a smile and be genuine. I do my best to be winning and make them laugh and smile. I love getting to know them and listening to their stories. I hate watching people hurt and go through ugliness but I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be there with them and lay a hand on their back or their hand to let them know that they are not alone when ugliness happens. Yes, I deal with nastiness but I strive and strain to view it as an opportunity to serve and do good. I deal with bodily fluids all day long and I strive to do it to the best of my ability. I've also gotten to meet so many incredible people, World War veterans, a lady that played in a symphony and who now works for the government, a Holocaust survivor who had lost her entire family, and this year I met my favorite patient of all time whose whole family I absolutely adored.

2. I love my cohorts. I love working alongside the individuals in other disciplines to provide care for my patients. Ladies and gentleman, I have the great pleasure and honor of working with some of the most wonderful people in the world. From doctors, surgeons, nurse practitioners, and physicians assistants, to physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapy, nurses and nurses aids, house keeping, room service, pharmacy, maintenance, lab, volunteers, and pastoral services--I have had the opportunity to become meet and become friends with some of the funniest, nicest, smartest, kindest, and most gifted people I have ever met in my entire life and I really truly mean that. I walk into work every day and look up at the ceiling grateful for the people I work alongside. Major plus: I try my hardest to avoid paging doctors but I'm thankful that when I do they are almost always so gracious. (Side note: I really, really miss my ortho, neuro, and plastic surgery people, but I love my new cardiac people)

3. I love that I am never bored. I am always, always learning something new and interesting. I could never work an eight to five desk job (I would literally go insane) and nursing is so far from a desk job it's wonderful. I run around all day and have to think all the time about what I need to be doing next and I adore it. I love the critical thinking and the constant bouncing of ideas I do every day. I love that I can ask questions and I love that I work with people who like teaching me new things. Every discipline I have worked with I have found a physician, surgeon, or secondary provider who loves to teach and I do my absolute best to learn as much as I can from them.

4. Stories. From patients, staff, and ones that are constructed while I am at work there is never a lack of good stories in a hospital.

This is why I love my job.

Also, I think I would really love to work as a nurse practitioner someday too...but we'll see, it kind of scares me too, lol.