“You should rest.“ The kind voice came from the nurse behind me. “She will be fine, I will call you if anything changes.”
I leaned back in the hard wooden rocking chair that sat inches away from my newborn baby who was sleeping in an isolette. It was our second day in the NICU and sleep was the last thing on my mind.
“You can’t care for her if you don’t take care of yourself.” The voice continued, “I promise I’ll call if anything changes.”
In my experience, there’s nothing quite like a NICU nurse.
“Honey, he’s still here but it may be difficult to see him. He is hurt very badly, but we are taking the best care of him. Do you want me to go in with you?” The nurse stretched out her hand and took mine.
I took a deep breath as my 16-year-old mind tried to comprehend what was happening. We weren’t sure if he’d pull through. His body was badly broken from the vehicle accident.
“I’ll go with you and we can talk about the machines and what they are doing for your dad. Let me know when you have had enough.”
In my experience, there’s nothing quite like a trauma nurse.
“Mom, she’s badly injured. The cut to her hand is deep and she’ll need stitches. We are going to need you to be strong for her.”
I looked down at my little girl who lay still with her hand wrapped in gauze. She’s the strongest person I’ve ever known, and now I need to be strong FOR her.
“You can help her, Mama, while we stitch up her hand. Just help us keep her calm.”
In my experience, there is nothing quite like an ER nurse.
“Can I do anything else before I leave? I am going to miss caring for your grandmother, she was a special lady. Your whole family is special, really, I am thankful for my time here.”
The nurse’s eyes filled with tears as we all stood silently around my grandmother’s bed. The only sound came from the CD player on the floor that continued to play the same hymns it had played for the days that led us to this moment. In her room, my grandmother left this life and transitioned to heaven.
“It’s always hard to lose someone you care for. Even if we’ve only known them for a couple of weeks. It’s still hard.”
In my experience, there is nothing quite like a hospice nurse.
Throughout my life, whether a moment of joy or pain, it seems there is always a nurse somewhere in the background. The presence of a nurse brings great comfort.
Often they are typing away at a computer, delivering medicine, cleaning messes, carrying out dinner trays, checking vitals, and doing the work of nursing.
Other times, in life-changing moments, they become heroes by simply connecting with their patients and the family members around them.
In my experience, there is nothing quite like a nurse.
A nurse is a special kind of hero. The hero we know who will always be waiting to help us navigate through some of life’s best and worst moments.
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This post originally appeared on Facebook at Jenn Kish, published with permission.
