What does a nurse do?

Assignment:

                Imagine you are in a social situation and someone asks you, “What does a nurse do?”Think about how you will capture and convey the richness that is nursing science in your answer.

        Basically, nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles. This is according to the International council of nurses.

        When I enter the nursing school, I don’t really have any idea what nursing is. I thought it was just an ordinary course taken up by students because they wanted to go abroad to look for “greener pastures” as the cliché goes. When I watch the demonstration on perennial care, bed making, and stool and urine collection when patient is incapable of doing it, I’m secretly saying to myself “Ew, so gross”. Just like any ordinary people, I’ve also thought that nursing is a dirty job because you have to assist the old patient in voiding, hold your breath when it smells foul and you also have to clean patients’ mess. But there are some roles of a nurse that you cannot read from books and you cannot learn unless you experience it yourself. Nursing is not just all about giving medications, IV therapy and carrying out doctor’s order. The definition of nursing is not only limited to white uniforms, beautiful and tall nurses. Nursing requires knowledge, skills and attitude. 

        As a nurse you have the power to make a difference in someone’s day. You can make them smile, laugh, feel comforted, feel supported, and make them feel not alone. But dealing with people is not all about fun. To see a mother’s smile while cuddling her baby after a painful and critical delivery, to make parents knowledgeable of the advantages of breastfeeding and to promote family bonding through proper newborn care is making difference. Cleaning up the linens of a fully grown man after bowel incontinence and retain his dignity and pride while doing so makes a difference. Positioning an asthmatic seventy two year old woman to alleviate difficulty of breathing makes a difference. To let the cancer patient make you a screaming board after knowing that she only has few months on earth makes a difference. 

         Once I had a patient in the surgery ward. She’s a three day post operative patient from cesarean section and bilateral tubal ligation. When I asked her about her age, she told me she’s twenty years old. I was nineteen years old then so I saw myself in her position. She told me she got married at the age of twelve; she got pregnant and delivered her baby at the age of thirteen. At the moment she already has seven children signifying that she’s getting pregnant every year. She missed her newborn very much since she hasn’t seen her after her delivery. As I listened to her, I felt so touched. I’ve never been pregnant but it seems like her pain is radiating to me.

          The next day, before I enter her room, I observed her from afar and I saw her watching outside the window. When I took  her vital signs I asked her about what she feels and she started opening up to me everything she has in mind, about her dreams not for herself but for her children, about her worries and about her misconceptions. Just listening to her makes a difference. Just holding her hands make a difference. Just teaching her coughing and breathing exercise to alleviate pain from surgery creates a difference. I once explained her the condition preeclampsia which she experienced and she opened up to me how painful it was. During my health teaching, her husband came in and told us that she had ligation. Together with my clinical instructor, I explained to her what ligation is and when she realized that she will no longer get pregnant again, she became terrified because she was not informed by her husband about it. My clinical instructor explained to her that it’s emergency so her husband made a decision in her behalf. Besides, her life is at stake so she really has to undergo the procedure. When my instructor leaved, my patient asked me about her private worries. I explained to her everything and told her that she should not blame her husband instead she should realize that he only did what is proper. At the moment, she should no longer worry about making another baby but focus on the welfare of her children. She should remain steadfast and emotionally strong for her family. 

        I cared for her for four days until she was discharged. One thing I can’t forget about her is when she advised me to study hard and not enter a relationship yet because it’s the reason why she didn’t finish her education, she also told  me that she wants her daughter to become a nurse like me. I felt so happy about it. She even told me “sana ibigay mo sa akin ang number mo para matext kita, kasi di ba ganun naman ang mag bestfriends?” Secretly, my heart rejoiced. I never expected she treated me as her best friend. 

        It’s only one of my experiences but everyday I’m learning and I felt I’m growing up as a person. It takes a very special person to be let into the very private, emotional and vulnerable lives of others. I feel very privileged to have been able to make a difference to so many lives over the years, it is a very hard job that does not always get the recognition it deserves but l would not do anything else in the world.

       I believe nursing is a calling. Nurses can touch lives like no one else. It is like a room full of stressful moments and exhaustion but at the end of the day, it offers self fulfillment. Maybe it’s not considered as the noblest profession but as a nurse it’s up to you how you’ll make yourself a noble one.