First I am thrilled to announce my nephew has confirmed his new status of Registered Nurse. The path to achieving this status is life-altering, challenging, and you gain such a sense of accomplishment. The rigor of academic, clinical, and life skills is highlighted in transitioning from ordinary citizen to a savvy, professional, empathetic, sentinel-like nurse who advocates, acts, encourages, and prn “kicks” your butt to move it.

I was the first nurse in my family, the nature of the work is one picks up souls along the way who become your nurse family. Colleagues who transition to friends, to chosen family members where you readily share laughs, tears, triumph and the reality of loss, grief, phases of burnout and rebirth.

My nephew has built his nursing family over 4 years and joined his professional association in his first year. The connections he made reinforced that many RNs are worthy mentors and Auntie was most assuredly one. It’s a rough period to balance adversity, learning, manage life skills, and in 4th year step up and serve on the board of directors of his professional association. He has navigated through loss, learned that an institution may not show as much empathy as one can hope. Learned his network of nursing mentors/friends were but a text, phone, ZOOM session away, and his family displayed the unconditional love that one hopes all can experience in their lifetime.

So now our new RN continues his practice in general medicine, he is learning policies, learning the mores of team function, and for today he is celebrating a significant accomplishment. Travelling home with his dog by his side, if family tradition means anything my RN status day was a fat envelope in the mailbox and our family dog receiving multiple hugs as I whooped around the house “I passed, I passed”. My nephew’s Popa, my father, is also sharing in the glow of pride in a job well done, his words “why were you worried?” Popa added “makes the effort worthwhile” and his ongoing contribution how to be a gentleman in the context of today’s world.

Indeed if you have a nursing student, support them with $$$, groceries, meals, access to internet, rides to clinical, a caring ear to support them when rough patches occur, and celebrate regularly. A community needs to start its training on looking after a nurse–be courteous, heed instructions, if the answer is no remain calm, and respect the knowledge, skills, and attributes a nurse possesses.

Reminder to nurses educate family and friends on what you need, be gracious, and for your community attend to them in a respectful, empathetic manner. It only takes a moment to engage someone towards healing, to be a caring presence near death or within life. Consider how you would want your family and friends to be treated, using your attributes, knowledge and skills to strive for excellence. Namaste.

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Paula M

Registered Nurse Storyteller, Healer, Scribe, Transformational Leader