Growing up with a nurse for a mom, the importance of the role she and her peers play was ingrained in me. Unfortunately not everyone was raised with this insight, though I can assure you my mom helped others understand in her own way.
From chaotic emergency rooms to tranquil hospice settings, nurses are present at every stage of life’s journey. That’s because they are so much more than a nurse.
They are advocates, pouring their hearts into fighting for their patients and peers. Outside work, they are the ones who urge you to get the flu shot and pump you up for a visit to the gym.
They are educators who teach families how to cope and patients the importance of follow-up care.
They are caregivers, blending proficiency and empathy to ensure that the emotional and physical needs of the patient are fulfilled.
They are pillars of support for fractured families facing worst-case scenarios.
They are parents to the children whose mother and father aren’t close by, spiritual advisors for the lost, life preservers for those who have lost hope, and friends for those who are alone in times of fear or triumph.
And at the end of their day, they aren’t done because they are also parents, wives, husbands, home caregivers, PTA members, and homework helpers.As we celebrate our healthcare heroes in this month’s Central Florida Health News, thank your own nurses because I’m willing to bet a simple smile and thanks mean more to them than you know.