Today is the last day I will ever be on call for work. For the last 20 years, as
a nurse every position I have held, being on call was part of the job.
Sometimes I was paid for my time and sometimes I was not. I am looking
forward to not being tied to my phone. I remember getting calls that
sometimes required me to come back to work after working all. Calls in the
middle of the night that required me to come back in because of an
incident. Yes, I did make more money in those positions, but they had much
more responsibility and accountability. I think today’s nurses are much
better at work/life balance than we were (nurses 15 years or more)
because we were taught/brought up you just did it.
I have had the honor to take care of many wonderful people; and some
who made would make taking care of them very difficult. But I learned to
meet them wherever they were. I have witnessed patients pass away and
mourned them as well. I have worked with people who took the time to
teach and share their own experiences.
I think there will always be a nursing shortage. Every good nurse I know
went into nursing to care for others. It’s not glamorous. It can be dangerous
at times. Regulatory agencies have made it much more difficult because
there is so much documentation that is required. Nurses spend less time
nursing and more time documenting.
In my new position I will be helping those nurses that are now where I was
for 20 years. I walked the walk and understand how difficult their jobs
really are. My hope for all nurses is that they find balance and joy in their
everyday lives. Nurses must, to survive, find things that they look forward
to and have down time to decompress. For me Reiki was and is my saving
grace.
It Starts With You!