by Judy Geiger, RN, MHA
Chief Nursing Officer
As we celebrate Nurse’s Week at Primary Children’s, I have been reflecting on why I really became a nurse. I hear many nurses say that they knew early on in life that they always dreamed of becoming a nurse.
Well, that certainly was not the case for me. In college, I really wanted to be a park ranger and work in Yellowstone National Park. After 2 years of college and a bit of soul searching, I realized that my dream job was not going to be all I imagined. First, it would have taken years to actually get to work in Yellowstone. The thought of working in a desert around poisonous snakes, or other less than ideal settings, just would not work for me. Plus, there was a boy involved in my life who I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving.
In making a new career decision, I reflected on something that my mom said. She told me that if she had not become a teacher, she would have been a nurse. I thought, what the heck and applied to nursing school.
As I reflect on my life, I have never regretted that decision. Well, there might have been a few regrets when I was standing in line with all of the other nursing students learning to give each other shots. Or perhaps when we had to put an NG tube down each other’s noses in class. Or maybe when I flunked vital signs in school - but I digress. I could not be happier with my decision to become a nurse!
I have learned much from working with and observing other nurses. I have learned compassion and empathy from nurses who cry with families who are losing their child, or who hold the hand of a mother who just sent her child off for a “minor” surgery. I have learned much about patience from nurses who calmly answer the same questions from stressed parents about their children for the fifth or tenth time. I have learned much about humor from nurses that can make even the most frightened child laugh or those that help their colleagues laugh at themselves when the day is not going as planned. I have learned much about what it means to be a team player from countless groups of staff that come together to always do the right thing for our patients and their families.
One of my favorite quotes about nursing, that sums up the difference nurses make is:
“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.”
- Donna Wilk Cardillo
Becoming a nurse really was the best decision I ever made! I could not have dreamed to be part of a better profession, or to work in a more wonderful hospital. I want to take a moment to thank all our nurses so much for everything they do on a daily basis to put the child first and always. Nurses truly make a difference!
