Friday, May 6, marks the beginning of National Nurses Week, so let’s take the time to focus on the numerous contributions of nurses and related healthcare professionals. Make time to thank them for all that they do. So many nurses go about their jobs all but unnoticed. These healthcare professionals don’t do their jobs to earn gratitude, but they more than deserve it.
- Nurses offer calm in the face of chaos. So often healthcare providers see us at our worst, at our most vulnerable. And they usually have a docket of patients; they can’t always give us the personal attention and time we want. Yet they do what they can to calm us, to make the frightening and unknown more familiar. Nurses generously share their knowledge, a reassuring smile, and the sheer, basic need of human touch. They often do this over a period of many hours, expected by all to be as on-point at the end of a shift as at the beginning… and they somehow manage it.
- They get a unique perspective. Because healthcare providers do devote as much time as possible with their patients, they’re often quick to develop a sort of “front lines” viewpoint. Even the person checking in patients notices an individual’s state and does what they can to start the process rolling.
- Nurses offer hope. Nurses who work with significantly ill patients do have the power to positively influence attitudes. A direct yet upbeat nurse can give patients and their families a true sense of likelihoods and possibilities and will use their experience to help maintain a positive frame of mind, even when reminding them of real uphill battles. Nurses play the multifaceted role of cheerleader/caregiver/reality-checker; not an easy role to play.
- They care. Healthcare providers understand the fine but important distinction between cure and care. For example, once a patient is given medication for an illness, he’s free to go on about his life. But what about how the medication will affect his life? Does it produce side effects? What other aspects of the illness will remain? If it’s a chronic illness, how will it affect quality of life? Healthcare providers offer the treatment side of the equation along with caring concern, answering serious questions and offering reassurance.
When we take all of this into account, let’s remember to thank a healthcare provider on our next encounter. They do so much for so many, and we owe them recognition and gratitude for all of their effort and dedication to their profession. To learn more, reach out to our experienced medical staffing team at Medical Professionals.
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