I am a nurse. I hear a lot of 'Oh that must be hard, I don't know how you do it. Blood makes me faint.' I then hear a lot of subject changing. Now maybe it's just a little professional jealousy, but in my experience people simply aren't interested in hearing about my job. Nursing doesn't conjure up images of famous people and far off places. For many it conjures images of handing out medications, and wiping bottoms. Nursing seems mundane, and commonplace. Everyone knows what a nurse is and does, or at least they think they do. My uncle once described nursing as 'boring.' Well everyone you're wrong! Nursing is not mundane or commonplace, and it most certainly is not boring. The only thing people ever get right about my job is the "I don't know how you do it," part. You're right about that, you don't know how I do it. You don't know how any of us do it, because you don't know what we do. You don't know what it is to be a nurse!
Now don't go beating yourself up. It is not your fault you don't know. Nursing has a serious PR problem! This blog, and others like it are meant to change that. The title of this post is "What is a nurse?" I don't know the answer to that question. It is my hope that in sharing my experiences, and my thoughts we might come closer to finding and answer. At the very least I hope to give you a peak into the profession of nursing, to correct any misconceptions you might have, and let you see how intriguing, exciting and crucial a career it is.
