Ellen Barhorst, RN, Orthopedics, Mission Hospital
Nursing is.....Sharing the ability to laugh, cry, and pray, while growing not only in knowledge, but also with your heart.
Age 5, my Aunt bought me a "nurse kit" for Christmas; you know the kind, with the syringe, stethoscope, fake thermometer, and even a box of little fake pills (candy), which is the ultimate no-no thing to give your kids nowadays. I so enjoyed that gift; playing "nurse" to anyone who would listen or play with me. Yes, I even found enjoyment in putting on the little cap. My grandmother was a nurse also, and I can still hear her stories when she came home from a long night shift. She truly was an inspiration to me as it was so obvious she loved nursing. People always asked me as I was growing up, "What do you want to be?" The answer always remained the same. "A nurse of course."
Fast forward 49 years from age 5, yes that's right, I'm 54 now. People sometimes ask me if I had the opportunity to do it again, "Would I still be a nurse?" My answer is always a definitive, "YES"
I graduated nursing in Ontario, Canada and worked for a small community hospital as well as home care for 13 years before leaving for a travel nursing assignment in London, England. After that, I came to Mission Hospital as a travel nurse in 1999, and, well, that was the end of the great travel nurse in me, and I stayed.
Learning has been and continues to be an ongoing tool. I have since worked neurosciences/spine, Staffing Pool, ED Admit, Surgical Pre-op, and now Orthopedics. I can honestly say I have never had a position that I didn't like, and I've learned so much in all of my positions. Most of my learning has not come from any area in particular, nor any books or course of study. The largest part of my learning has come from my patients. Good care, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual is what is sought. They have taught me to really listen, not only to their words but also their body language.
Nursing truly is an art, a profession, but most importantly it is a calling. What other profession do you get to be invited into the hearts of people's lives? You laugh with them, cry with them, pray with them. Sometimes words just are not an adequate source of expression and silence can also be a golden opportunity for provision of comfort with my patients. Whatever methods are used, it's always patient/family directed. I am always amazed at peoples ability to endure during the toughest periods of their lives. I love the fact that I can participate and share with my patients, even the little things that don't seem to be relevant to me, can make a patient's day.
When I leave to go home at the end of the day, and a patient or family asks me if I'm coming back tomorrow, I know I've done my job, and I've done it well. Then I can walk to my car (sometimes physically exhausted), knowing that I have somehow have made a difference. There is always room to grow in the nursing profession, whether it be with knowledge or with your heart.
