It was 1:13am in the morning, when I was jolted awake by a bright blinking vision in my head – a neon sign rhythmically flashing ‘The Year of the Nurse’. Over and over again, it seemed the universe was beckoning me to explore and discover its meaning.
Sitting up, I began contemplating this notion of the year of the nurse. I was, of course, familiar with the 2020 campaign honoring the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale on the 200th anniversary of her birthdate. Yet, I had a sense that the depth of this significance was somehow connected to the impact the Covid-19 outbreak was having within the world, and the vital role nurses were playing in saving humanity.
Intrigued, and fully alert, my mind shifted to the stories and conversations of kindness, commitment, and caring that I had heard during the last couple of weeks. Pictures of families grateful for these heroic individuals lined the news and television ads. Narratives of overwhelming stamina and endurance, present within these superhuman caregivers, filled the screens of social media threads. And images of expertise and comradery within this sacred community were seen to bind nurses together to fight this complex war of contagion.
And just as bright as the neon vision earlier experience, I, almost immediately, realized that these strengths and qualities that were now amplified and celebrated across the world, were quite frankly, present each day in these incredible individuals and what I have the privilege to witness when working with my nursing colleagues.
See the Routine as Remarkable
Nurses unquestionably are heroes in healthcare. Not just today, amongst the challenges of the coronavirus, but every day. Each day, they get up, armed with the passion of this most noble profession, to care for strangers… in ways that are profoundly remarkable and yet (to them), ever so ‘routine’. Within their way of BEING, their intrinsic DNA, they routinely and most assuredly, bring reassurance, gentleness, calm and understanding to their patients… remarkably every day. Consistently they inspire hope and encouragement, listening and connecting in ways that are intensely personal, helping their patients to feel they matter… remarkably every day. And they access their superpowers of empathy and conversation, rendering their patients ‘un-invisible’, and guiding them through uncertainty, fear and worry … remarkably every day.
Yes, 2020 has been declared the year of the nurse. But, the universe has invited us to look beyond a discreet moment in time, creating a powerfully impactful image and beckoning each of us – today and tomorrow – to notice and celebrate the strengths within this most magnificent community of nurses; offering a reminder of the ‘not to be forgotten’ heroes, and recognizing their potential and purpose to heal humanity.
So, TODAY’S INVITATION is to tap into your strength of gratitude.
‘Turn your observer on’ and notice how the ‘routine’ work of the nurse, brought forward each day on behalf of another human being is ever so remarkable.
- Reach out and share your gratitude for the commitment nurses have in caring for others… every day.
- Pay attention to the universe, answering its call to recognize the magnificence within nurses … everyday
- Appreciate the depth of their purpose to make a difference
- Be grateful for their expertise
- Mirror their strengths, helping to make this world a better place
- And please, do your part – stay home; so when this is all over, the world is filled with all of the nurses that choose to save humanity… every day.
Continue to shine your magnificence –
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diane Rogers is a facilitative, leader with a collaborative approach inspiring individuals and organizations to raise the bar toward the Achievement of New Potentials, together. She has a diverse background, with a history of demonstrated leadership positions across multiple industries, including healthcare, software IT, aerospace and nuclear power. Diane can think big and put the details in place to design effective action plans building trust and respect along the way. With her unquenchable energy, she tenaciously engages stakeholders to join the improvement journey and, along the way, cheerfully nudging the players, bringing them to the same page, to move beyond their potential.
