My Nursing Philosophy

1. What is it that helped you to know that nursing was your calling – your gift?
 How do you see your work?

Recently, I wrote a short statement for the Sigma Theta Tau induction referring to nursing as a vocation. I wrote, “Once my grandmother told me that nursing is a vocation because the presence of God himself is in each of the patients I meet on my way. Helping others has always been my passion and I will be doing this my whole life as a future nurse.” Now more than ever, I can say faithfully and without hesitation that I believe in those words. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the Sacred Vocation Seminar in my last semester of nursing school. As I finalized my studies to become a registered nurse, it was important
for me to reflect on the values of my profession. In a couple of months, I will be at the bedside of hospital rooms, providing care to patients in their most vulnerable state, which is an illness.
More than ever, I do not see nursing as an everyday duty, but has an opportunity to experience the presence of God Himself on earth. There is no greater satisfaction in the world than to make a difference in someone else’s life; it is an act of selflessness. Furthermore, I can assure you that no money in the world could ever compare to the feeling of satisfaction that your heart feels each time you see the patients smile and get healed. Everyone in the world is made in the image of God. As a result, when you humbly put others before yourself, the image of God shines before you with splendor. It is truly a gift to be at the service of God when caring for my patients. We, as nurses, give to those who are most in need. We soothe those who are enduring suffering and pain. We advocate endlessly for those who do not have a voice. We provide comfort and care to those who are on their death bed. We are an extra pair of ears for those who need to release their emotions, we provide encouragement and
keep rooting for our patients’ recovery and we empathize with our patients through their most vulnerable times.

2. Think about a person or an event in your life that is linked to your decision to become a nurse.
 What was it about that person or experience that affected you?
 What did that experience tell you about what is important?
 What were that person’s values that impressed you?

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Just as God commanded his disciples to show love to one another, nurses are commanded to show love to their patients. Having experienced illness throughout my life with my grandmother Maria, I was inspired to pursue a nursing career, in which I am going to dedicate my time to people during the most vulnerable state of their lives.
A long time ago, I lived in El Salvador, where I was surrounded by poverty and illness. My grandmother Maria, at that time, was 60 years old and was medically diagnosed with osteoarthritis, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol levels. I had always admired her strength and desire to live despite the deplorable surroundings. Because we could not afford to pay for a doctor as often as she needed, the pain caused by her osteoarthritis became gradually worse. To this day, I can clearly remember the nights that she would call me to her bedside and would say to me, “Lorenita, me puedes sobar por favor,” and I responded, “Of course grandmother Maria, I will knead your leg.” I genuinely believed that my hands, my love and my faith in her would eventually heal her. Every day, I would pray to God to give my grandmother good health so that she could proudly see me on my graduation day. She always taught me that if one has good health and love, everything else is secondary. Also, you must be healthy so that you can work hard to obtain food, clothing, and a shelter for your loved ones. In addition, you can be there for and with your loved ones. One day, she softly told me, “You would make a great nurse; you are compassionate, loving, and kind.” Seeing the hardships that my grandmother Maria had to go through initiated an instinct within me to go into the medical field. At an early age, I realized that by becoming a nurse, I would make a positive impact on the lives of people like my grandmother that need a soft hand to comfort their physical wounds as well as their emotional wounds. My grandmother Maria inspired me to never give up, to smile at the world, to keep my head up, and to dream big. Now, I want to give back to my community by working in the healthcare system, caring for vulnerable individuals who are going through illness, depression, anxiety, pain, and other health issues. My dream of being a nurse is about to become a beautiful reality because I had the courage to constantly fight despite all the difficulties on the way, remaining true to myself and never giving up. There were many rocks that I stumbled upon along the way, but now I can proudly say that it was all worth it. I stared at the challenges straight in the face just like my grandmother Maria taught me, and I tackled them. The endless nights of staying up studying for exams helped me to learn that discipline is the key to accomplish my dreams. Moreover, I have poured my heart and soul into pursuing my nursing degree. My sweat, tears, and prayers during the past years will finally pay off when I obtain my BSN this year. I believe that the key to overcoming the challenges in the future will be my faith in God, my perseverance, my commitment to helping others and the unconditional support of my family, friends, and coworkers.
3. What insight(s) did you gain by participating in the Sacred Vocation Seminar?

I previously had not participated in a Sacred Vocation Seminar.
Yet the experience truly impacted me on a personal level. Being able to participate in the seminar helped me become more knowledgeable about the effect we as nurses have in the lives of the patients that we encounter. More importantly, I became aware of the significant value nursing has held throughout the generations since the beginning of time as mentioned because it is mentioned in the Bible. In the Bible, there are countless examples of sick individuals being healed, which is what nurses do each day. Furthermore, this is extraordinary because it shows how nursing is not just a career but instead is a “calling” from God that a few are able to respond to. More than 2000 years ago, Jesus healed the sick, and now he has given nurses the “gift” to continue his legacy. Jesus had three ways of accomplishing his objectives: preaching, teaching, and healing. In one way or another, nurses do all three things in their interactions with the patients under their care. I enjoyed listening to the stories that my classmates shared about the difficulties they had to face to be where they are today. Each one of our personal stories of how God called us to serve Him is unique and has shaped us to become resilient souls with the capability to influence each person we interact. Also, there is a circular relationship in nursing; we have the capability to heal our patients, but they too can heal us. This strong bond allows our souls
to be healed, and through this healing, we can become better human beings. As we are healed, we forgive those that have done us wrong, and we can form stronger relationships with our families, friends, coworkers, and others that we encounter throughout life.

4. What did you find applicable to share throughout your clinical practicum?

There should never be a day without making a difference in the world. We as nurses know this because we have experienced the satisfaction of making a positive impact on our patients. Regardless of the nursing specialty you go into, everything we learned in the Sacred Vocation Seminar is applicable. As of now, I started my last clinical rotations before graduation and proudly say that I have put into practice some of the lessons learned. In the hospital, I have taken the time to sit down face- to -face with my patients and their families to attentively listen to their life stories. My heart has been filled with joy to see how my patients’ moods brighten as they talk about a place they visited, the food they tasted, and the people they meet. Just recently, I had a female patient that needed blood drawn. She had low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, so it was very hard for the nurse to find a good vein. My patient was in pain, and I could see it in her facial expression and vital signs. When the nurse said he needs to try another time, she begged, “Please, no!” My first instinct was to grab her hand, and she squeezed back. Earlier, I had briefly talked to her, so I knew she loved to travel around the world and asked about her trip to the Vatican. Her face lighted up immediately, started talking about her trip, and soon forgot that the nurse was drawing her blood. Later in the day, when she had woken up from a short nap, I asked if she would like me to brush her hair. Her response was “Yes, please sweetie.” I comb her white, soft hair while she talked about her trip to Greece with her husband in the 1980’s. Once I had finished combing her hair, she thanked me and said, “I feel beautiful again.” Her self- esteem and mood improved so much within minutes. Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in performing the technical skills of our job, such as giving medications, inserting IV’s and drawing blood. But, we must remember how stressful and frustrating it is for our patients to be in the hospital. Taking the time to sit face -to- face decreases their stress and heals their souls. We never know what they are dealing with internally or at home. Most of the battles we face are fought in silence. Especially the ones that we do not talk about or share with anyone. As a result, one must be kind because we never know if that kindness may just make someone’s day or even change someone’s life forever. I believe Mother Teresa said it best: “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” Our patients allow us, a total stranger, to care for them at the most vulnerable time of their lives. This is a privilege! Once I start working, I will take the time to see and treat my patients’ physical pain. I will stop to listen to their stories. I will help them bind up wounds from the past, and most importantly, I will care for them to the best of my capabilities. It is important for me to remember to treat my patients physically, mentally and spiritually to put them in the best position to heal as they go out of the hospital. They may forget what you said to them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
Nobody could have summarized it better than Martin Luther King Jr: “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Nursing is a vocation that will permit me to heal mankind, the same mankind that belongs to our Creator, and to move forward no matter how hard life gets. You must remember that nursing is a work of the heart. Never lose sight of the patients under your care. It takes a lot of patience, love, and sacrifice to do what nurses do. Furthermore, a career as a nurse will allow me to practice the command God has given us: to love and care for one another as much as He loves and cares for us.