Nursing success happens daily, I would even argue on a moment by moment basis. Nursing stories of inspiration are often overlooked as celebrating our nursing work gets shuffled in with emptying a drain, giving a medication or preparing a patient for discharge. Celebrating our passion for nursing ought to be part of the daily routine.

And most of us know, it is not.

How come celebration is so hard? For one thing we often view our accomplishments as ‘part of our work’. I hear it all of the time: “I was just doing my job.”

Another reason is we tend to shy away from tooting our own horn. We worry we might come across as big headed or self-serving if we are seen celebrating our nursing success.

Still another barrier might be our own work ethic as a professional nurse. I am raising my hand, two hands really, right here with this item. Just recently my newest book came back from my editor. Done. We are ready to move into the next steps of publication and there I was, ready to get cranking on ‘the work’ to be done. My editor said (at least three times, I think) “Take a moment. Celebrate this. You just wrote another book. Take some time off to go enjoy your success.”

I want you to celebrate your passion for nursing. I want us all to celebrate our nursing profession.

Today I received the first Poster Submission for the Art of Nursing Awards Program. This group of night shift nurses got together and over the course of several days working together, they created a poster that elicits pure success.

Looking through the submission photos, reading the comments written by the nurses and hearing the stories of both patient and nursing celebration brought tears to my eyes.

This is nursing pride. 

So think about your own nursing practice. How do you celebrate your successes, big or small? Where do you take time to pause and really realize the inspiration you bring to human beings on a daily basis? What do you do to celebrate your passion for nursing?

And after thinking about it- go out and actually do it!

I encourage you to do one thing, just one small thing this week, to celebrate your pride and passion for nursing. Can you treat yourself to a massage? Will you purchase a small bouquet of flowers and place them on your kitchen table? How about getting into a sudsy bubble bath and turning up the New Age music?

Just pick one thing.

Do one thing for you. One thing that celebrates your nursing success. You have earned it. And it is OK to celebrate yourself today.

I would love to receive a few more submissions for the Art of Nursing Awards Program. There are individual scholarship seats open, a nursing student essay contest and of course- my favorite- the Poster Awards.

Go ahead and visit this link: https://elizabethscala.com/aon-special-programs to learn more. And no worries, I have extended the deadline for submission until April 20. So be sure to get your information in today.

Thank you for reading. Please share a comment below on how you will celebrate nursing success and enjoy your passion for nursing today.