It was early on that I realized I wasn't cut out to be a nurse. To start with I hated biology at school, particularly dissecting animals. It was much later that I came to appreciate the character traits that define a good nurse; compassionate, patient, calm & even-tempered, good communicator - and the list goes on.
If you know a nurse, this goes without saying. However, if, like me, you grew up not knowing a nurse personally and you were fortunate enough not to need to visit a doctor or hospital very often, then you may not have appreciated what it takes to be in the nursing world.
Over the last 5 years, due to family health issues, I've become more familiar with our local hospitals than I wish to be. This has been quite an eye-opener! On a positive note I've met some fabulous nurses and MA's who really helped our family member during the recovery process.
May 6th - 12th is National Nurses Week, the 6th being Nurses Day. (check out nursingworld.org/nationalnursesweek). If you know a nurse remember to say "thank you". If you have nurses and MAs working for you it's not too late to plan how you'll show your appreciation. Maybe it's a special luncheon and/or an appreciation gift - we can help! (logarrow.com/specials).
Nurses Rock!