Nursing has always been a part of my life. My grandmother used to say she was my first patient at the ripe age of 4 when she called for a bedpan and I responded with, "Here my am". My inspiration: a nurse named JoJo at a local hospital where I was an occasional visitor. She was kind and caring and made us laugh, even when we didn't feel well. I remember she had short curly hair and the biggest smile. From there, as I went through the process of becoming a nurse, each nurse I met became a part of me. To them I give tribute for the wonderful role modeling they probably never knew about.
We learn that nursing is the art and science of caring, and I truly believe that. Patients respond to a tender touch, a smile, a listening ear or a soft voice. When we are sick we want someone to care - we want a nurse. I hope we don't lose that in this changing world of health care - we need to fight to keep ourselves at the bedside, caring for our patients.
