Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Happy Nurses Week

A very Happy Nurses Week to all of my nurse friends!

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My parents sent flowers to me at work yesterday. I opened the attached card and had to giggle – it said “Happy MOTHER’S Day! We are very proud of you!” Whoops!

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My husband also brought flowers home to me last night! He said my parents beat him to it, but that’s ok…both arrangements are beautiful!

I’m often asked why I became a nurse, especially one in the field of Oncology. To be honest, I’m not really sure why I became an nurse. For years, my answer to the question “what do you want to be when you grow up” was always “A Teacher”. I grew up around the hospital system. My mom is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist and my dad is an accountant that works in healthcare. As a Junior in high school, I volunteered in a local hospital’s Cardiology unit. I will never forget the first time I saw a heart cath. I was in awe. The fact that I could see a heart on the screen in front of me, with dye flowing through it absolutely amazed me. I knew from that moment on, I wanted to be a nurse.

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Nursing school was hard, I am not going to lie. There were times I didn’t think I’d make it through. With a lot of prayers, hard work, (and a little bribing on my parents end), I graduated.

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As a senior graduate student, I knew deep down in my heart that pediatrics was my calling. I loved loved loved working with kids. However, God had a different plan. I was accepted into a program for brand new graduates that took me from a surgical unit for six weeks to the cardiac unit for 4 weeks to the oncology unit for 4 weeks and finally to the ER/ICU for 2 weeks each. It was during this program that I discovered my love for Oncology nursing. My grandfather passed away from Lung Cancer my senior year in high school….so oncology held a deeper, more personal meaning for me.

After a few years of working on the Oncology floor, I switched to Radiation Oncology and that’s where I am today!

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I absolutely LOVE what I do. People ask all the time, “How do you work with oncology patients? Aren’t you sad all the time?” Me? No. I look at it this way – we might have failures, but there are always successes. It’s rejoicing with those who have been given a clear report…cured…that keeps me going. Yes, being an oncology nurse is hard, but I absolutely love it.

I’ve found other ways to give back, too. I’m currently our area American Cancer Society Leadership Council President and I serve on various councils throughout ACS. It’s a satisfying feeling knowing what I do on a daily basis has purpose – fighting back against a terrible disease that has claimed so many of our loved ones.

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Ok I might have gotten off on a tangent there – my main reason for this was to say HAPPY NURSES WEEK to you!! Thanks for EVERYTHING you do! :0)

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P.S. – Please continue to pray for my grandfather. He now has fluid on his heart/lungs and is having a very difficult time breathing. It breaks my heart to see him like this. :0(  We appreciate your prayers!!

34 comments:

  1. Happy Nurses Week! It always makes me happy when I hear people say that they love what they do, especially because it seems we spend more time at work than we do doing anything else these days.

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    1. You are right...it does seem as if we spend more time working here lately! Thank you! :0)

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  2. Happy Nurses week!!!!

    I continue to hold your grandfather in prayer!

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  3. Thank you for all that you do! Nursing is a tough job and you guys deserve more than a week of appreciation!

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  4. Happy Nurses Week!!! I have had a lot of great Nurses make a difference in my lifetime. It takes a special person to be a nurse!

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  5. Happy nurses week to you :) So great that you got flowers. Last year I got flowers from my boss and free coffee for nurses week!

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    1. That was so nice!! It's nice that your boss acknowledged the special day! :0) Happy Nurses Week!!

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  6. Prayers & thoughts for your Grampa...I hope he recovers soon! Happy Nurses Week!! This is a great post! I am one of those people who are always in awe of nurses...I have so much respect for this field and am so thankful for them. Your post had me teary-eyed in places...such an inspiration!!

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    1. Wow...thank you so much for the kind words! :0)

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  7. Happy Nurses week! And I love that the flowers said "Happy Mothers Day!!! Ha

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  8. Happy Nurses Week! Thank you for doing what you do! I come from a family fully of nurses and other medical type professionals. It's hard work, and without you guys we'd be in trouble!

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  9. If I ever need an oncology nurse, I hope I have someone just like you! PS....hope your Grandpa is improving. :)

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    1. Thank you so much! (Hopefully you won't ever need one, though!) lol

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  10. I don't think that I knew you were an Oncology nurse. It takes an amazing person to be a nurse and an even more amazing one to be on that floor. I am so glad those patients have someone like you to help them. Happy Nurses Week!

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    1. Thanks so much, Kimberly!! :0) I appreciate your kinds words!

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  11. What a wonderful story!!!!

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  12. Happy Nurses Week - you sound like you were destined to be a nurse, and you are doing a great job.
    Your flowers are beautiful
    Hope your grandfather is doing better now *hugs*

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  13. Happy Nurses Week girl! I'm glad there are people like you out there...I'm pretty squeamish and could never be a nurse. Thank you for doing what you do! I'm definitely lifting your grandfather up in prayer. Hugs girl!

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    1. Thanks so much, Mindy!! Believe it or not, there's still things that make me squeamish! Hah!

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  14. So funny that it is nurse's week and teacher week. I guess you and I both need extra loving this week:)
    (However, I'd settle for us just being injury free and healthy!)

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    1. Yes, it's funny to me that both weeks fell at the same time! I know nurses week always revolves around Florence Nightingale's birthday. I agree with you - I'd love to just be injury free! Haha!

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  15. Happy Nurses week! I use to work in the nursing home as a CNA so I know what it is like when someone is ill, I am praying for you grandpa to get better.

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    1. Thanks so much, Caroline! How cool you were a CNA!!

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  16. I will definitely keep your grandfather in my prayers!

    Happy Nurses Week!! I've always been appreciative of nurses but after having surgery last year, I am in awe of all that you do!! And what beautiful flowers!

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  17. Happy Nurses Week and thanks for your dedication to your work and patients! Continuing prayers for your grandfather and your family.

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