.Celebrate Your Accomplishments in Nursing Odds are, you don’t give yourself enough credit. Nurses deserve a lot of credit and gratitude for the jobs they do, and its time you just think about what all it is that you do during a day, and then give yourself a pat on the back. Typical Shift - Most nurses work 12 hour shifts. That means you spend 12 hours medicating, comforting, and providing care for sick or injured patients. - Starting your shift, you visit the patient’s room, introduce yourself to new patients, and say hello to the existing patients that you already are familiar with. Of course, every nurse always asks if there is anything the patient needs, so the needs provided will keep you busy for some time. - Depending on what shift you are working, you may need to speak with doctors, and accompany them on rounds. - If working day shifts in particular, you will speak with insurance representatives, and essentially be an advocate for your patient. - Check on patient’s multiple times, and administer procedures per doctor’s order. There are a million more details involved in a day; however the list varies nurse to nurse and hospital to hospital. Related: International Nurses Association - Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) The Saint The story goes like this. There was a woman that walked up on an old man standing on the sidewalk. He looked ill, so she asked what was wrong. He said he did not know, but he knew he felt bad. So, the woman took the man to a safe place, and checked his temperature. She then provided him food and drinks, all the time asking if he was ok. She then sponges bathed him and combed his hair. Later the man had an accident, and while apologizing, the woman helped him remove his pants so she could clean them up, all the time assuring him it was not a problem at all. She cooked the man some dinner, and then she cleaned up after him. As night fall approached, she tucked him into bed, and made sure he was comfortable. When he needed anything, she was right there to do what she could to make sure he was comfortable and well cared for. The following day she sat down with the
man and discussed his future plans. She explained the importance of a healthy diet, and provided him numbers that could assist with a substance abuse problem. As he walked back out to the sidewalk, his friend approached him, and told him how great he looked. As the man described to his friend, how the woman cared for him, and he was so much better now, the friend had to ask, who was this saint? The man simply answered, “My nurse”. Work can become pretty routine, sometimes you may feel like a robot, especially on those long shifts. You may be hard on yourself, and focus on the things you did not get done. Sit down and make a list. Related: What are the uses of Psychotropic Medications Actually concentrate, and put everything on that list that you did during your shift, and even your entire day. now go back and read that list carefully. I’ll bet by the time you reach the end of the list, you feel physically exhausted, that’s a lot of work for one person in one shift. Now, give yourself credit. It takes a very strong and unique person to have completed everything on that list. Now go ever further and list all you have accomplished in your adult life. What education have you completed, seminars, awards, trainings, or even just be-friended a patient that needed a friend. After you go back and read over that list, you should feel pretty proud. Go ahead, celebrate all of your accomplishments, you deserve it. Related: List of nursing organizations Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter