This week is National Nurses Week (May 6 – May 12), and to honor these remarkably dedicated health professionals I’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to them for the difference they make in all of our lives.
The first nurse we learn about is Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who came to prominence during the Crimean War when she began tending to wounded soldiers at night.
Today, nurses do so much more than tend to our physical needs. They care for our emotional ones as well by treating the whole person with compassion and a good ear. They not only see the patient's physical wounds, but they also see a human being with deeper needs.
In the world of today’s health care, that is no ordinary feat.
To a nurse the needs of the patient comes first despite their own grueling hours, daily physical exertion and the sharing of some traumatic events that would send anyone else to their knees.
Their goal is to make a difference in our lives.
Nurses comfort and heal us, whether nestling closely to a dying patient, hugging a scared child or listening to our worries.
Aside from the nurses who’ve cared for my own health needs, I was blessed to work with many talented ones while working at IOMSN (International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses.) Let me introduce you to a few:
Dorothea (“Dottie”) Pfohl: Clinical Coordinator of The Comprehensive MS Center of the Department of Neurology at The University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Why do I love Dottie? Aside from being my Words with Friends warrior, she recently said this to me:
“My signature line is that I am proud to be part of a group of nurses who care FOR and ABOUT people with MS. But, when folks suggest I am one in a million, I correct them that I am one in over 2,000 MS nurses (IOMSN) worldwide who specialize in MS nursing.”
After being an RN for 50 years, Dottie is a tireless warrior not only in Words with Friends but with every patient she meets. She’s helped me, and countless others, with her knowledge and compassionate heart. I will be forever grateful that she is also my friend.
Gretchen Mathewson: Specialty Coordinator, Nurse Practitioner of Neurology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Corinne Dickinson Goldsmith Multiple Sclerosis Center, New York City.
I recently changed neurologists, which meant I also changed nurse practitioners. During a recent checkup I spent time with Gretchen, who not only gave me time to ask all of my questions, she also gave me advice unlike any other:
“Try to forget you’re disabled. Take up martial arts for balance, and go back to yoga. Live your life without thinking of yourself as disabled.”
That’s a hard task since I write about disability, but I’m trying to separate myself between Cathy the Writer and Cathy the Healthy Woman who happens to have MS.
Michelle Keating: MS Nurse Consultant, part-time oncology nurse, Mercy Hospital (St. Louis).
What’s special about Michelle? She also has MS. Anyone with MS knows that fatigue can be our number one enemy. But Michelle keeps moving by helping and caring for others. As she says:
“What I love about working with those with MS is the ability to educate. To encourage, create hope and provide support for patients, and finally to inspire them to live their own lives with a positive wellness approach.
NOTE: If you live in the St. Louis area, please check out Michelle’s upcoming fundraising event, MS Evening of Hope.
Claire Mayone is a nurse with Genzyme’s One to One Program. A veteran of the nursing world for over 25 years, Claire decided to dedicate her skills after her husband’s MS diagnosis. She now helps others navigate the many challenges of having an unpredictable disease.
Read more about Claire and the MS One to One program, a unique resource and program for people living with MS and their care partners. Members are provided with personal support and access to trained MS nurses over the phone or online. Visit www.MSOnetoOne.com or call 1-855-676-6326.
What positive stories do you have about nurses?
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I admire and respect nurses so much. They're the ones who are so in tune with the patients and are unfailingly kind and compassionate. They deserve big thanks!
thank you for your kind words; i've considered naming you an honorary nurse, Cathy. BTW, i like to tell others how you convinced me that playing words with friends was cognitive therapy for you! it is for me too.
Health care would be lost without nurses. They rock!
I am so glad you are paying tribute to these marvelous care-givers who make such a difference. They deserve every ounce of recognition.
What a lovely reminder of the people who take care of us when we need them the most. Clearly a labor of love.
Nurses are great. It is a fantastic career. I always like when a practitioner has the same problems, like migraines, bad back or cancer. You become kindred spirits!
Beautiful tribute to unsung heroes. With my dad in the hospital and rehab for the past few months, I am so grateful to the compassionate nurses who made such a difference in his care and his healing.
A good friend of mine is an oncology nurse. I don't know how she does it. It takes a special person to be a nurse, in my opinion. They are the best. I still remember the nurse who was by my side when my first son was born. She made such an impact on me.