On the birthday of Florence
Nightingale's birthday, now known as
International Nurses Day, nurses
working in the UK and Ireland open up
about life in the profession



Laura Tully: Practice Nurse at a student
health centre in Athlone, Ireland
I am a nurse. I care.
I protect, advocate, listen, empathise,
teach, lead and inspire. I save lives. I
help others. I hold hands. I make a
difference, every day.


I have always wanted to be a nurse
since I was 5 years old. It’s my
vocation. I’m Irish and have been caring
for patients in various nursing roles
across the public and private sector in
Ireland for over 19 years.


That’s 6,938 days and of those days
there has never been a single one when
I wished I did something else, when I
wanted to be anything else. There
hasn’t been a single day where I’ve not
learned something new.


My career as a nurse has been shaped
and guided by the nurse tutors who
educated me, the nurse mentors who’ve
guided me and the colleagues I’ve
shared my career with. Most
importantly, I am the nurse I am
because of the patients I’ve been
fortunate to meet and help. Every single
patient I have the pleasure of caring for
leaves an imprint, some far greater than
others.
I can be a smile to someone
who needs it, a companion to the lonely
and vulnerable; I can celebrate a first
breath or provide comfort and dignity
during a last breath. I am privileged to
be a nurse.
We are the heart of healthcare and the
hospitality of the hospital and while we
are bound by paperwork, short on
hands, sleep and energy, we are never
short on care.


Today I celebrate our
profession and nursing professionalism.
Laura has been a nurse for 19 years
Sheralyn Holmes: Macmillan Neuro
Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist
I look after patients with brain cancers.
I’m often the first person they meet after
diagnosis and so I sit down with them,
take the time to give them information,
make sure they’ve got my contact
details and I’m the person that they
know will help find the answer.


With more and more people being
diagnosed with cancer, it’s really
important that the funding is there to let
us do our jobs and be there for people
who really need us.
It’s not always easy and sometimes I
find it hard to switch off. Brain cancer
patients will say to me “I’m really
worried about how my family will cope.”


As a mum myself, It’s really tough to
hear that. But part of my job is
supporting the family, and their children
if they’re struggling.
A cancer diagnosis is a very frightening
thing. It changes lives and I know many
patients can feel very alone even if they
have got family around them.


But being
able to help makes a real difference. I
saw this patient every week throughout
her entire treatment. To see her come
through it and see her so well now is
incredible.


Despite the hard days, I find my work as
Macmillan nurse incredibly rewarding.
For me, just seeing people coming in,
often scared and anxious and being able
to offer some time then see them walk
away that little bit more relaxed with a
smile on their face is a real high.


Sheralyn has been a nurse for 37 years
Viv Bennett: Chief Nurse for Public
Health England
I have always believed that nursing is a
privilege and an opportunity to help
people and communities to have the
best possible health.



Nurses and midwives can make a real
difference to help people prevent illness
and look after themselves and their
families through healthy lifestyle
choices.


On International Nurses Day we are
promoting the contribution of nurses
and midwives to the 'obesity epidemic'
and I have a new blog out today about
this, here.
As the Chief Public Health Nurse I am
delighted to showcase this vital, but
sometimes not visible, dimension of
nursing and midwifery practice.
Professor Viv Bennett was appointed as
Director, Nursing at PHE in 2013



Source : Independent Newspaper

Lol

lalasticlala, your submission is needed.

The role of nigerian nurses in public hospitals #1. shout for people #2. Collect bribe b4 attending to patients #3. Help u finish ur provisions #4. Receive curses 4rm angry patients

Thanks to all of these experienced nursing professionals who took time to share why one would want to become a professional nurse. No matter what problems may exist with healthcare in your country (any country), you wouldn't want find yourself in any hospital that was attempting to function without nurses.

Nursing in Canada/USA: http://www.executivejobseeking.com/become-a-professional-nurse/