How Becoming a Nurse Changed My Outlook on Life

The nursing profession is not for the weak or faint hearted. While nurses are expected to change the lives of others, I can honestly say, the patients I care for continue to change my life. How so? You ask. I started my career in a pediatric emergency room of a busy level 1 trauma center. I often see patients and parents on what is possibly the worst day of their lives. I give my best most compassionate care to each patient. Often times on some of my most heart breaking patient encounters, I find myself rushing to the nearest restroom for a “quick cry” so that I can get back to giving my best to the next patient. So how has this changed me? Being a nurse has changed the way I view the world around me and how I interact with my peers and family. It has been one of the most challenging, yet humbling and most rewarding experiences of my life. Everyday it reminds me to slow down. I’m reminded to love deeply, share experiences, taste my food, acknowledge the beauty in my surroundings, acknowledge the beauty in my friends, family, the strangers I see and so much more. Being a nurse reminds me to be present in my everyday life outside of work. And that is the best gift caring for others has given me.