The nursing field is filled with challenges. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the median age of registered nurses is 46, and more than one quarter of registered nurses say they plan to retire or leave the profession over the next five years.
During National Nurses Week, 海角社区app talked to Candie Daniels, the assistant director of the neuroscience ICU at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Daniels said there鈥檚 a wide spectrum of careers in the health care field, but, for her, the attraction to nursing was the opportunity to provide direct care to patients. And there was a family connection.
鈥淚 come from a family of nurses. My grandparents were nurses, my mother鈥檚 a nurse, my aunt鈥檚 a nurse,鈥� she said.
And when it comes to working in her chosen area, she said, 鈥淣euroscience has just evolved 鈥� what we can do for patients today, what we couldn鈥檛 do for them even just 10 years ago, five years ago, is just amazing.鈥�
Daniels, who has been working at the Georgetown hospital for 23 years, said she鈥檚 often asked by job applicants why she鈥檚 spent so much of her career there.
She said she tells them: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a professional respect between the providers and nurses.鈥�
Daniels said a good example is how rounds are conducted: 鈥淧hysicians do not finish rounds without looking at the nurse and saying, ‘anything else? Did we miss anything, any other input that you鈥檇 like to provide?’鈥�
There are bad days, Daniels said, as there are in any job. But she adds: 鈥淭he good days, and even the small, good things you can do for a patient, can wipe away a week of bad days.鈥�
So, during National Nurses Week, what can patients and their families do to show their appreciation?
鈥淗onestly, it鈥檚 just a ‘thank you,’鈥� she said. 鈥淣o one ever wants it or expects it,鈥� but she said thank you means a lot.
Another thing that nurses treasure, said Daniels, is an update on how a patient is doing.
鈥淲e love to get letters and cards back from families and patients because we love to know how they鈥檙e doing,” she said.
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