Meaningful Nursing Care

Some people just aren’t meant to be in the positions they were hired for. As a nurse, it is strictly crucial to have a caring and compassionate heart, a mind for teaching and learning, a soul for listening and understanding, and most importantly, the knowledge and ability to teach and care for those who are at their most vulnerable phases in life, whether they are going through a series of chemotherapy to treat cancerous cells, or pain from a car accident that happened over 20 years ago, or an invasive heart procedure that requires the harvesting of veins from their legs and using those veins as grafts in their sawed-open chests, these followings are pretty serious conditions. Therefore, we need be to mindful and considerate when it comes to these situations. And if you chose to be a nurse, you need to be caring and compassionate everyday in your life. There are those who would swear up and down, claiming that they are cold-hearted, inconsiderate, and selfish; yet, they are nurses or in the profession of ‘caring’ for people. This is no joke. I’ve come across a few of these people myself. And who am I to say, “Well, dear, you are in the wrong profession!” In all honesty, I so want to say that.

I am my patient’s advocate; I want the best for them! In some instances, these people are helpless; they are not only uneducated, but they are also unable to take care of themselves due to their mental illnesses, developmentally delayed conditions, age, weight, etc. Whatever the reasons may be, we need to pay close attention as to how we treat our patients. Literally speaking and mindfully speaking! They may not be fully aware of the appropriate ways to care for themselves, or what the consequences are for when they are not compliant with taking prescribed medications as directed by a physician, or do not have the resources available to help them out. When we walked gloriously and gracefully down that aisle on stage in our white uniforms to accept our pins and certificates during that pinning ceremony, along those lines and time, we also pledged to follow these duties as nurses, to provide the best care possible to our patients and the human race in general. Have we forgotten?? Well, please allow me to remind you…

Nurses Pledge of Service

“I solemnly pledge myself to the service of humanity 
and will endeavor to practice my profession with 
conscience and with dignity.

I will maintain by all the means in my power the honor 
and the noble traditions of my profession. The total
health of my patients will be my first consideration.

I will hold in confidence all personal matters 
coming to my knowledge.

I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, 
race or social standing to intervene between my
duty and my patient.

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life. I make 
these promises, solemnly, freely and upon my honor (NMMU, 2005).”

Reference

NMMU. (2005). Nurses pledge of service. Retrieved from http://nursing.nmmu.ac.za/Home