k royal, PhD, JD
National Nurses’ Week
By K Royal @HeartofPrivacy | Published | No Comments
this is a week to celebrate nurses. There are many nurses in my life aside from myself: family, friends, past colleagues, and students. Amazing individuals and I’m proud to be one (once a nurse, always a nurse)!
For this post, I’m sharing one of my favorite experiences. My time as a cancer and hospice nurse is still the most impactful time of my life. My patients taught me so much. They gave me courage, tears, honesty, love, respect, humility, hope, acceptance, and a calm view of the totality of life.
Back in 1996, I worked at the University of Tennessee medical center (go Vols! But orange ain’t my color), while Peyton was quarterback there. Night nurse. 7 on and 7 off. Brutal, but continuity for patients. We became family – dysfunctions and sacrifices.
They found out I did not know how to Macarena. Shocking! They them flashmobbed me at 2 am… And I do mean flashed. Hospital gowns, IV poles, and catheters. Not pretty. But they were enthusiastic, cheering, laughing, and successful. I learned the Macarena, but I also learned to enjoy the small things.
So thank a nurse. You never know what happens when you’re not there with your loved ones. Sometimes, it’s just not something we would be document in a chart!
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