Being a patient

Being a patient lately has really gotten me thinking about myself as a nurse. I see patients all the time in home health and I've definitely forgotten the hospital setting. The constant vial sign checks that wake you up every hour of the night, the crappy meals and most importantly, the quality of the nurses. Now that I've been a nurse for a few years, I can recognize the types of nurses right off the bat. The new grads who do everything by the book and look nervous the second they walk through your door. The somewhat experienced nurses that still take the time to care about their patients. The experienced nurses that have been hardened by the job and are quickly in and out of your room. The veterans that do their job well, but without empathy. And last but not least, the rare nurses that do their job to the best of their ability and have compassion for their patients simply for the love of caring for another person. This is the type of nurse that I want to be and being a patient has helped me recognize and learn things to improve myself. It's gotten me thinking that I want to pursue my BSN, but we'll see. Maybe 2013 has something in store for me. Can't wait!