We can’t wait until we are broken to heal ourselves; we need healing daily, and minute to minute. We must seek reminders about why we strive so hard to make our lives purposeful. We must connect with others to share the suffering, sadness, and grief we may feel from day to day. And we must also seek a non-judgmental space to share our success, joy, laughter, and the beauty of what we witness.
Happy Nurses Week 2019!
A reflection I wrote in 2013 for my fellow Nurse colleagues, and it still rings true today.
Trust that those you touch can sense the power and the beauty of your authentic desire to give them the truth of caring. Care that is expressed through pure passion. A selfless gift full of love, kindness, compassion and joy. A gift given with skilled and gentle hands, a kind smile, soothing words and peaceful silence. Your purpose is the power of your love, giving energy, tranquility and genuine light to others.
An Optimal Healing Environment (OHE) is a shared space where healing occurs by addressing all aspects of a person’s individuality. Individuality includes; the physical, psychological, social, cognitive, economic, environmental, spiritual and behavioral components of humans (Zborowsky & Kreitzer, 2014). When considering an OHE, it must focus on external factors like, light, fresh air, architecture, color of walls, furniture, art, activities, and music. It also reflects internal aspects like, relaxation, meditation, prayer, and energy exchange. An OHE accounts for interpersonal items like, relationships, communication, leadership and teamwork, as well as behavior like, collaborative healthcare, exercise and integrative practice (Dossey & Keegan, 2013).
This is the story of a Registered Nurse (me) who stood up for herself and her patients, and what happened in the process. Nurses are one of the most dedicated professionals on the earth. Nurses vow to protect their patients from harm. Here is Nightingale’s Pledge from 1935, and it (or an updated version) continues to be said at nurse graduation ceremonies around the world.
I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practise my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping, and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavour to aid the physician in his work, and as a 'missioner of health' I will dedicate myself to devoted service to human welfare.
Nurse Coaches do not treat diseases or body parts, instead they honor people as unique, individual beings, comprised of wisdom and strengths. They engage patients and their families in all health-related decisions. Nurse Coaches see the possibility for healing and connect with patients on a deep level, and why they are essential in the healthcare space.
