Nurse’s Week has a bit of a different feel for us this year. Having spent our careers in a large hospital setting, you get used to banners, cookies and free barbecue in the parking lot to celebrate nurses. In a boutique firm the fanfare is not quite as great — although it has allowed us to reflect on the amazing opportunities we have had to work with nurses from every discipline.
The high school student. Setting themselves apart from their peers, taking advantage of opportunities that most of us only dreamed about as teenagers. Understanding the hard work required to be a nurse allows them to focus early in their academic careers.
The nursing student. Proudly sporting the word NURSE on a t-shirt, a hat, a bumper sticker and even shoelaces — whose passion for the profession is contagious.
The new graduate. Signing their name with a trailing “RN” on a check or a restaurant tab. The one who is terrified and the most impressionable, and who needs to be reminded that seasoned nurses have bad days too.
The academic faculty. Those who are growing the future of nursing by delivering relevant, challenging and holistic education. These are the nurses responsible for all other nurses reaching their full potential.
The clinical educator. Often overlooked, they work tirelessly to make sure clinical staff are competent to serve their patient population. This requires striking a perfect balance between the mission statement of the organization and keeping management happy.
The advanced practice registered nurse. Although we love our doctors, it is very refreshing to be cared for by an advanced practice provider trained in holistic care. APRNs are empathetic to the bedside nurse and really understand the continuum from diagnosis to management.
The informatics nurse. A role not commonly known to the general public. Times have changed, and we need nurses who help spearhead and manage healthcare technology through a system. When they get involved, all of nursing benefits.
The nurse manager. Productive versus non-productive hours and balancing a budget doesn’t sound very warm and fuzzy — but it is imperative that nursing understands how to run their business effectively, so they can support their staff and ensure fiscal viability.
Nurses in the C-suite. The other side of nursing. We have all worked with leaders who had a pulse on the true needs of both the organization and the bedside nurse — a genuine advocate for our profession.
The volunteer nurse. Those who donate time and resources to make a healthier, more empowered community: a camp nurse over the summer, an MRC volunteer in a disaster, a community CPR instructor, a missionary.
And finally, the nurse consultant. We won’t say the nurse consultant role is the best in nursing — that would be biased. We have served in so many roles that allow us to understand a little about a lot. That translates into a wealth of competencies and drives the empathy behind our practice.
Nurses may have different levels of education, serve different patient populations, and hold different initials behind their name. But at the end of the day we share a common goal: to provide safe, quality patient care and to keep advocating for our profession as it grows around us.
I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.
Florence Nightingale
