I Can Be Your Hero, Baby: On Being a Nurse

Photo Credits: http://allthingswidlyconsidered.blogspot.com

"I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain..." - Enrique Iglesias crooning in the background singing his hit ballad "Hero".

I really love this song in addition to the fact that Enrique mi amour is my ultimate celeb crush. As I listened intently and internalizing the song, an idea popped in my mind...I thought of blogging about nurses...as "heroes".

Whenever I thought of the pressures of my nursing career, I reflect on the memories of the experiences I have; the nurses that I have met and looked up to. Yes, and that includes my friends as well and most of all the known mother of nurses- Florence Nightingale.

The memories that comes in my mind burns brightly as inspirations to pursue the career that I am now embracing...again (after 3 years of not practicing it). It gives me encouragement, strength and even excitement that hopefully soon I will be wearing my respected white uniform and ready to go to give tender love and care.

Ladies and gents, I know that all of you knows someone who is a nurse. Aside from knowing that they work in the hospitals and clinics, they also are working at schools, workplace, corporate world, military services, communities and etc. True enough that the Nursing as a profession does not only revolved in the four corners of the hospitals and health clinics. And TRUE ENOUGH that nurses are flexible professionals and over millions of them- of us- works in other parts of the world.

Where health needs are greatest, we find nurses. Nurses all around the world plays great and essential roles in the delivery of quality health care and even as confidantes by people. We may have heard them saying that they're just doing their jobs whenever we admire their skills, compassion and on being always calm in the brink of saving lives every single day. But when we hear their back stories, we can definitely say that it's just more than 'just a job."

NOT "just a job"

It's not just all about providing care, monitoring health status, vital signs, doing rounds, planning care plan, earning the salary and etcetera that one can learn from googling a "nurse's job description"- IT'S MORE THAN THAT. For me and as I have observed with myself (not bragging) I have come to a point wherein I cried for those patients under my care.

I cried not because I felt pity, sympathized or empathized them but because of the mixed feelings and the influence I have unconsciously (never thought) given good impressions on their lives. A simple "thank you ma'am", a pat on the back or hands, a genuine smile and even a "lambing" made me mushy and brought warm heartfelt emotions in me; and I was wondering: "Am I really a good nurse to them?"

I know that it's not only me that realizes this. This is when nurses are faced and willing to go beyond for their patients. I'm not talking about doing tasks or whatever beyond the scope of Nursing. It's about not just looking at people as "patients" *under monitoring just for the sake of bringing them back to good health or a spec under a microscope*; BUT seeing and caring these people holistically, that includes not just their physical and internal aspect but emotional and spiritual beings as well.

Going above and beyond

There are times, just as I have aforementioned that there are nurses who go above and beyond aside from performing the acts of saving lives. And in these kind of instances, this is why there are people who have looked up to his or her nurses as heroes. These Nightingales in scrubs juggles and sacrifices their personal lives to rendering bedside care that can be life-changing to the people under their care. And for you and me and the others, these are the kind of stories that we love to witness and hear.

So, to my fellow colleagues out there and the making of the future "Angels in the sickroom", I salute you and let's be proud of being a nurse. Let's eat, sleep, love, care and SAVE LIVES.