Date Published: July 14, 2017
What does it mean to be a nurse? We think about that every day at ATI.
Sleepless nights, vital signs, and patient care. That’s what quickly comes to mind. But being a nurse is so much more. It means compassion and patience, empathy and sensitivity. It means being there for a total stranger at all hours of the day and all hours of the night. It’s that ability to help keep a patient’s loved one calm, even in the most stressful of situations.
Nurses are leaders. They are communicators and professionals. They are a patient’s confidant and their advocate. What else does it mean to be a nurse? We asked our students and nurse educators this question. These are a couple of their answers:
“To me, nursing is selflessness. Our patient is our priority through our intelligence, experience and compassion. We are the healing hands that people seek in desperate times.”
-Maggie R.
“It means you put the patient first and yourself last! It means you have responsibilities to humanity..”
-Robin F.
“Nursing is not a job. Being a nurse means patients in your care must be able to trust you. It means treating your patients and colleagues with respect, kindness, dignity and compassion.”
-Gertha F.
“Loving to serve! Taking care of your patient as if it were your precious family member. It also means you go to work to make a positive difference, not just earn a paycheck.”
-Cindy J.
“Simply, what it means to be a nurse in just one word: passion. Passion to serve, passion to care and passion to give… The books can teach me the etiology, progression, treatment, and skills to treat the illness but caring and loving what I do for my patient is not in the books.”
– Licia V.
“Peace of mind is what it means to be a nurse… People are fearful when they are in hospital rooms all alone, and it brings them peace knowing that competent, compassionate and professional people are there to ensure that they are cared for.”
-Michael S.
“Nursing to be is like the air we breathe. We need it to survive and our patient needs us and depend on us for comfort, compassion and love with a non judgemental state of mind. Someone who will go above and beond to provide the best quality care possible.”
-Sonji J.
“Being a nurse means I have the opportunity to help others in their time of need. I am proud to be the rock in a scary situation and, at the same time, able to show empathy and concern for others. It has to be the most rewarding feeling.”
-Jeannine A.
What does being a nurse mean to you? Email aticommunications@atitesting.com and we may feature your response too!
