I am simply overjoyed at the passion, dedication and enthusiasm for our nursing profession. Another nursing colleague has sent in a inspiring scholarship application for the Art of Nursing program and so I share her words of loving energy for her nursing career with you today.

Question: Tell us why you love being a nurse. If possible, describe your favorite nursing memory (keeping patient confidentiality in mind, of course). Why do you love what you do?

Answer: I love the thrill of helping someone heal and go home, helping a new nurse with their development, helping someone die with dignity, helping a family deal with loss. I have had many memorable patients. In Jordan, I had a 12 year old girl going into anaphylactic shock from her first dose of pill form Penicillin. I picked her up and ran down the street to the government clinic, sat with her when we couldn’t get a hold of her mother, and rode with her in the ambulance to the hospital.

Question: Tell us what the Art of Nursing means to you.

Answer: The Art of Nursing is the CARE we give our patients- not the book learning, skill performance- the personal connection if even for a short time, that allows the patient who is vulnerable, scared and uncertain that someone who is in charge of their recognizes them as a person- not a set of treatments, medications, labs, or procedures. You can study to be a nurse and pass the NCLEX, but you cannot be taught how to feel and be compassionate. The combination of the two is the ART.

Question: How come you’re interested in participating in the Art of Nursing program? Why do you want to join us for next week’s event?

Answer: I am at a crossroads in my life and my career right now. I have started my transformation in that I have been hired for a new job with so many possibilities both professionally and personally- but I want the guidance I know this week of seminars will afford me. I feel that the door that has opened to me- the new position- is a calling. I want to revive the nurse I set out to be 30 years ago, which I have begun with the assistance of Elizabeth and her awesome website. If the other speakers are as inspirational as her, we are in for quite a treat!

Congratulations to Danielle B. from TX. Your application brought cheerful and inspired tears to my eyes. I am so honored to hear how you relate to the Art of Nursing and am grateful for the work that you do. I am super excited you will be participating with us in the program!

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Let’s hear from you. What does the Art of Nursing mean to you? How do you celebrate your nursing career? Leave a comment below. Thank you for reading and enjoy the day.