Tag: covid

Yes, it is my pleasure to recommend you for this job!

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Never underestimate the importance of experiencing the best and worst days in your nursing career with friends and colleagues who have walked those long hospital hallways right beside you. I always knew the reason behind my success, and decision to keep showing up when things got hard, was because of the special bond that we all shared with one another. Yes, it is always about our patients, but it is also about not dropping the ball when our team needs us.

I think this is what I miss the most. I miss the camaraderie and the connections. I miss feeling like I am a small part of a much bigger picture. I miss laughing when the only other emotional choice would be to cry. I yearn for the days where I wouldn’t have to look more than a few feet away for a friendly face who was willing to share a not-so-fun task with me, if for nothing else than moral support or a witness! I miss those days, but I will never forget them for as long as I live.

I often get asked to provide professional recommendations for many of the nurses that I have worked with in past roles as either a peer or manager. I see it as an honor that I am entrusted with this important step in creating new and exciting career opportunities for the people who continue to challenge themselves to learn and grow, for only change can provide new perspectives and ideas to help us to think and practice in a different way from what we already know. Today, as I completed one of those professional references for an old friend, I thoughtfully considered the last question, “What are the top 3 strengths of this candidate?”. All I could think of is “where do I begin…”. As a nurse who showed up to care for the sickest of the sick in 2020, in NYC, during the earliest, scariest, and deadliest time of Covid, the “strengths of a nurse” have new definitions, like courage and bravery, selflessness, and unparallelled dedication to her (or his) patients. In a time when the future was not certain, and science became so unpredictable, even deadly, showing up day after day, is really all that needs to be said. That’s the nurse who I want working beside me, whether we are in a pandemic or not!

The Kindness of Others… and by Others, I Mean Nurses

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Life is hard; sometimes it can become very overwhelming, and can lead one to a feeling of indifference towards others. We focus so much on our own “stuff”, that we can’t see past it, to recognize when others may be struggling as well. Even those closest to us may not know the many burdens that we carry, because we hide it well, and often suffer in silence. 

This past year in particular, was relentless with tremendous loss, isolation, fear, and anxiety. It was the “perfect storm” for those who usually seek relief from stress by socializing with friends and family. Many of us lost that. I lost that.

We lost hugs. I am a “hugger” and I really missed hugging my friends! We even lost our smiles; they had to be hidden by a facemask at all times to protect us from a deadly virus. But smiles are so important to connect with others! We had to rely on our eyes to communicate our feelings, and that is not always easy to do. And we made mad dashes to the grocery store, dripping in hand sanitizer, hoping that no one around us dare clear their throat with a cough. (God forbid)!

But this is where I start bragging about Nurses. It’s Nurse’s Week, and this year we all deserve a damn vacation! We went to work every day to take care of our patients, just like always, as if there wasn’t a global pandemic that kept many others home from work or school. Our “business” never closed its doors. 

According to Psychology Today (2021), altruism is helping others at some cost to ourselves. It is showing empathy, and purposefully acting in a selfless way to help others. Nurses are the definition of altruistic! During this pandemic, nurses gowned up Every. Single. Day. They wore restrictive and uncomfortable PPE for 13+ hours until their faces were bruised. They washed their hands and uniforms as if hoping they could be sterilized, so as not to pass the virus onto ourselves, or others. Nurses kicked ass this past year, but there was a high cost to be paid. Too many lost their lives in this battle, and on this week of celebrating nurses, please take a moment to remember them, and their families, in our prayers. They were brave and kind and altruistic… and they paid the ultimate sacrifice in this Covid war.

Please take care of yourselves this week, you deserve it! Thank you for your kindness, love, and friendship; thank you for being you!

Happy Nurse’s Week!

Reference:Psychology Today. (2021).  Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com

Birthday Girl

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Today is my Birthday! (yay!) It’s not exactly a big milestone, more like a half of one, but the number does frighten me a bit. Honestly, I should get a “do-over” because 2020 was such a dud.

As I reflect on these fifty-five years (holy crap-oly!) that God has given to me, I see an abundant view that is a privilege denied to many. I have much to be grateful for, and I try to remember that, even through the bad days. 

Life, in general, can be complicated… it’s a day-to-day rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, until it’s over… which is something that I’ve actually been thinking about a lot lately; maybe it’s my age, or this past year of such devastating loss due to Covid… and the isolation, of course. The isolation has been really hard. Fortunately, I’ve had so many wonderful friends in my work “pod”, at least that part of my life hasn’t been lonely. Nurses are essential after all, not to mention, “superheroes”!

But I’ve gotten stronger and bolder as I’ve aged; I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. You become less worried about what others think (of you), and focus more on the important things, like being true to oneself. 

I (almost) always say what goes through this busy mind, for better or for worse. That’s why I write in this blog; it may seem silly to some, but it helps me to just sit still and thoughtfully think about what I want to say. It can be very scary to open up and share yourself with others, mostly because people can be so judgmental, but experience has given me confidence, and a feeling of self-worth and courage, that I didn’t have when I was younger.

Thank you for letting me into your lives, listening to me, showing me love and kindness, and laughing with me, and not at me.

Today is my birthday! I will celebrate life, and all that it has given to me, as I imperfectly live it, one day at a time. 

i miss hugs

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Covid has taken away so many things from us, in one way or another. As of today, the total deaths in the United States is 424, 909. That number is heartbreaking and astounding. It is also increasing every day.

Today I went to a Viewing of my friend’s mother who passed away from Covid. She was a doctor. She was very special, and she left behind a beautiful family who adored her. Their only comfort is that she is now with her beloved husband in Eternity. Photos, scarves, crochet works of art, made with love, and a million memories of a life well-lived, remain for all that are left behind.

I am a hugger, so it’s hard for me NOT to hug people on a daily basis. Back in the day (pre-Covid), I would be able to hug my friend as a way to express comfort, because sometimes, words just fail. A real hug, a proper hug, that is used when there are no words that can be said to soothe or console. Human touch expresses compassion… I think we are desperately missing that necessary emotion lately.

“Our sorrows and wounds are only healed when we touch them with compassion”. – Buddha