A Reflection On Nursing

“Seeing the nurses caring for patients and working hard together. Creating the feeling of a community that only nurses can create... I have loved the good times, the difficult times, and the sad times and ultimately being a nurse is part of who I am."

In this thoughtful and inspiring piece, Registered Nurse Fiona reflects on her experience as a nurse, what it means to her, and why nurses need to play a vital part in changing the NHS.

I move through my day-to-day role, 23 years later, still working as a nurse. Wading through the daily pressures that come with nursing and management. Dealing with a multitude of clinical issues, staffing issues, problem solving, attending meetings, safeguarding investigations, training and meeting with the rest of my team. My role as a nurse has changed so much and has become increasingly varied. It is furthest from what I thought it would be when I began my journey.

Finding Time To Take A Step Back

The longer you are in nursing, the harder it can be to step outside of yourself and outside of your role and remember why you entered nursing. Especially at this time, with the increased pressure that has been placed on an already overburdened National Health Service, resulting in less breaks, longer hours, extended shifts and guilt.

Guilt that you are unable to split yourself in many parts to do everything that needs doing. Resulting in being unable to take time out to eat or take full breaks to replenish your physical and mental health. Grabbing a 5-minute cup of tea while someone asks you “just a quick question” ... anyway. It can be hard in this situation that we are in, to reflect on why we are still doing what we do. Or are we used up mentally and physically due to the demands of the role?

Reflecting On My Decision To Become A Nurse

Now more than ever, it is important to ask ourselves as nurses, what was the reason? What was it that brought us to make the decision to become a nurse?

For me, my decision was led by what I had seen as a young child whilst attending appointments with my younger sister who had been diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy.

We lived in a very rural area; the local area hospital was small and in its infancy. It did not have a specialist Children’s Cardiac Service that would ensure my sister would receive the level of care she needed. Therefore, my parents had to make the long journey to the Children’s Cardiac Unit in the nearest city

This meant that we often attended as a family together, which meant a day off school on these very long days - which we loved. As a result of my sister’s heart condition, she was often very unwell, and at times admitted into hospital with heart failure, and we were tested and kept under review for years also, so a lot of my early memories were made up of leads, machines, and doctors.

Seeing the nurses caring for patients and working hard together. Creating the feeling of a community that only nurses can create… I have loved the good times, the difficult times, and the sad times and ultimately being a nurse is part of who I am.

Joining My ‘Tribe’

This was when I came across nurses, I could not put into words then how being around them made me feel, but I was interested and curious. Curious about what they did, why they were there and how they were different to doctors and other hospital staff.

For us, they alleviated our fears as a family, cared for my sister and moved around, constantly busy, working hard as a team. They did not care who we were, where we were from, or anything else. They simply just cared about their patients and their relatives and did all they could. They were the example of inclusivity.

Looking back, I loved visiting the hospital clinic and ward for that very reason. Seeing the nurses caring for patients, accompanying the doctors, and working hard together. Creating the feeling of a community that only nurses can create. I then trained and qualified as a nurse and joined my ‘tribe’. I have loved the good times, the difficult times, and the sad times and ultimately being a nurse is part of who I am.

What Nursing Means To Me

I have received excellent training and had the honour of caring for patients at all stages of their life. I have had the pleasure of working with nurses from different countries, excellent healthcare support workers and wonderful medical professionals, who have taught me so much.

This is what the experience of nursing means to me, and this is what I have remembered as the reason why I love this profession. The feeling of being part of something greater, providing essential care to others, continual learning and that feeling of community. Nursing offers up so much learning, career opportunities and many possibilities, to grow and develop your nursing career.

Nurses Are A Vital Part Of The NHS…

Our overstretched health service has been progressively worsening, with the cracks widening for years. Now more than ever nurses need to be supported, not only with safe staffing, but with the pressures and intensity of the role. This in turn increases patient outcomes, reduces the risk of quality issues and serious adverse incidents.

I had a recent experience as an inpatient, I was in pain and anxious and during the night an Agency Nurse came in, to administer intravenous antibiotics, check my wound, record my observations and to ask if I needed pain relief. We had a very honest conversation about each of our roles, our pressures and found commonality.

I realised for the first time in a long time how invaluable we nurses truly are. How we are someone’s light in the darkness when they are in pain, when they need reassurance, or even a chat. If Nurses all disappeared tomorrow from hospitals, community settings, and care homes, the gap would be immense and irreplaceable.

… And This Needs To Be Recognised

Change is needed and Nurses need to be central to that change.

We need to be part of the conversations of change and the solutions. We need to be part of a National Health Service that rivals that of other countries the world over. We need a health service that offers different patient solutions, best disease outcomes and consider what does not work any longer and change it. We need to consider all options and work alongside our medical colleagues in supporting patients and delivering the highest standard of care we can, in a safe and supportive working environment.

It is only through being a part of the change that nurses will be truly recognised. Then we can do the important, restorative work to care for ourselves and each other and keep this community together. So, we can revisit and reflect on our journey and be at peace with that.