The Nurse

I didn't grow up wanting to be a nurse. I wanted to be a physician. After all, they cared for patients, told nurses what to do. I never really liked being told what to do or to be managed. When I embarked upon my pre med studies, I worked in surgery as a surgical technician.

One day, we were doing a breast biopsy on a 32 year old woman. The pathologist said he wasn't sure if it was cancer, but the surgeon said to prepare for a radical mastectomy. The RN circulator told the surgeon the patient had clearly written breast biopsy only in her consent.

The surgeon turned to the RN, pointing his finger in her face, and loudly stated, you shut up. You are only a nurse. I am the surgeon who is going to save my patient's life. They are in calmly and confidently stated, you are correct. I am the nurse, and I'm advocating for my patient. Now step away from the table. You have broken sterile technique. She hit the button calling the or supervisory team. I became a nurse.

I have made each career decision to strengthen me as a nurse, believing it also strengthens the discipline and the profession. In my role in middle management, I am in the life force of nursing, I think outside the box, knowing when to tweak rules, but also knowing when rules should not or cannot be tweaked.

There can be 10,000 shifts in alternating rhythms and patterns in any day upon which I have to make a decision. I hurt when others judge me or label me as uncaring, when they know only one particle that may have been involved in a decision. I still don't like being managed, rather than being encouraged to use my knowing and being to influence a situation.

Just as the RN circulator confidently used her voice as a nurse, I need to use my voice as a nurse. I am the assistant dean, a nurse who co creates peace and healing through caring you