You could have become anything in this world, but you chose nursing.
You spent years in school, came out and started cleaning people up, giving medications, inserting tubes, standing for hours in the theatre, working night shifts and dealing with things nobody really prepared you for.
You see people on some of the worst days of their lives. Sometimes they’re angry at you. Sometimes their relatives are difficult. Sometimes you go home completely exhausted, only to come back and do it all over again.
It’s not always glamorous. Sometimes you even ask yourself, “Why did I choose this profession?”
But you’re still here.
You keep showing up. You care for people. You advocate for them. You comfort them when they’re scared. You celebrate when they get better, and sometimes you carry the weight of the ones you couldn’t save.
There’s something beautiful about choosing a profession where caring for another human being is the job.
I hope every nurse gives themselves some credit for that.
I have been a registered nurse for 7 years, including 4 years as a Neuro/Trauma critical care nurse. One principle I have always held firmly is never prescribing or recommending medication to anyone, including friends and family.
Whenever someone comes to me with a health issue, I direct them to a hospital or appropriate healthcare professional where they can be properly assessed, examined and investigated. That’s how it should be.
Proper assessment helps people get the right treatment instead of self-medicating. Even doctors should not prescribe medication without an appropriate clinical assessment and, where necessary, relevant investigations.