This blog post is a tribute to the man who drives my parking lot shuttle bus. However, it could really be an ode to any service provider. The cleaning person. Radiation technician. Surgeon. Registered Nurse.

I take a shuttle to-and-from my parking lot whenever I work at my part-time hospital job. The parking lot is about two miles from the hospital and I often notice how mundane the route can get. Most of the passengers are buried in their cell phones; bus drivers blankly starting out the oversized windshield. It’s to-and-from for them all day long.

Well there is this one man in particular who drives the bus that is just amazing. He stands outside of the shuttle in the afternoon with the sign held high, making sure passengers know he is there. He greets you with a warm smile and friendly conversation. And as he gets close to our parking lot stop, he announces with pride ‘Next stop. Fallsway!’

The other afternoon someone left an IPod on the bus. I picked it up and brought it to him. What did this man do? He stood in front of the parking lot exit, holding the IPod up, in hopes of finding the owner who left it. Now that is job commitment.

As I drove home that afternoon, with a huge grin and lump of joy in my throat, I thought to myself about career pride.

Why do we do what we do all day long? Is it merely for the paycheck? Is it to pay the bills? Some of us will answer ‘Yes’. Yes, that is why I do my job. I need to get paid so that I can support my family and put food on the table.

For others, a career is a profession. Something to feel good about. A way to help others. It gives us pride.

This bus driver probably doesn’t make a lot of money. He hasn’t been given a fancy title or big swanky office with the window views. But he loves his job and I can see that.

How do you show up as a nurse? Can your patients tell that you love your role? What can you do tomorrow or during your next shift to take pride in your work? (At whatever level that may be)

I’d love to hear from you. What things do you do throughout your work day that go above-and-beyond? Who would you like to pay tribute to and thank for a job well done? Share a comment below and thanks for reading!