May 6, 2012 is National Nurses Day
By Carole (craftnut)
Generally an unsung profession, nurses have to be well trained in anatomy, biology, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and psychology, then pass a rigorous licensing exam. After licensure, nurses must complete continuing education every year mostly on their own time and sometimes at their own expense. The focus of nursing is not only the patient’s physical health, but also their response to being ill and returning back to the highest level of function possible physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Most people only encounter a nurse when ill. It is difficult to appreciate that the nurse who is caring for you is a highly trained and intelligent professional, not a maid in a white uniform or scrubs. They handle people on their worst behavior, clean up the worst of illness and injury, hold the hands of the scared and alone, take abuse from not only patients and doctors but also their employers, yet still go to work again the next day.
Ever been in the hospital? It may surprise you to know that your stay was not so much because you needed medical care but more that you needed nursing care. One of the reasons that there was a backlash against early release from the hospital some years ago is that people were returning to the hospital due to complications that could have been avoided with professional nursing care. Nurses keep a vigilant eye on patients to catch problems and assist them to get back to caring for themselves so they can go home. They save lives every day by catching problems before they become life threatening, and handling those life-threatening events as they happen. Hospital nurses put their licenses on the line every time they go to work.
A friend of mine was in the hospital recovering from an emergency operation to repair a perforation of her stomach. The nurse on the night shift saved her life when she began to breathe so shallowly that her blood oxygen level dropped. She could have died if not for this nurse!
This week, make an effort to say thank you to a nurse you know. You never know when one might save your life.
Nurse: The True Story of Mary Benjamin, R.N. by Peggy Anderson
Intensive Care: the Story of a Nurse by Echo Heron
A Call to Nursing: Nurses’ Stories about Challenge and Commitment
Edited by Paula Sergi, BSN, MFA and Geraldine German, RN, PhD
The Making of a Nurse by Tilda Shalof
Tending Lives: Nurses on the Medical Front by Echo Heron
I decided to go with a system. I would gather a list of my special education students and then narrow it down to those who are graduating seniors. This group has fought some difficult odds to get where they are at this point and deserve a gift. I decided to hunt them down individually and have a meaningful discussion rather than just slip a book in their direction between classes. In doing this individually, I ended up crossing campus dozens of times, and creating some great conversations. I didn’t prepare a speech or anything, so I just started talking with each student. Many of them were so excited as their faces lit up at the prospect of getting this gift, even stating “you mean, this is for ME?” that it was certainly a great energy charge for me. Of course, I had a few that listened to my reasons, looked at the book and said, “well, I’ll never read it anyway” and hand it back to me, but that gave me a chance to get it out to other students.
more than a book. I was able to give reading to students that have walked a hard road of reading in the past. I was able to make students who often feel they are not a part of anything feel like they were a part of an important movement across the entire globe. I was able to convey a message to these students that I believe they will be life-long readers and become World Book Night givers themselves. More than anything, the gift of hope was renewed in me today, and for that I am ever grateful.
No one seems to know the exact origins of the jelly bean but most experts believe that the jelly center is a descendent of a Mid-Eastern confection known as Turkish Delight a citrus, honey and rose water jell. Jelly beans as we know them date back to at least the 1860’s. During the Civil War, Boston confectioner William Schrafft wanted to help support the war effort (and his bottom line) so he suggested sending this treat to Union troops. However it wasn’t until July 5, 1905 that the mentioning of jelly beans was published in the Chicago Daily News. The advertisement publicized bulk jelly beans sold by volume for nine cents per pound. Jelly beans quickly earned a place among the many glass jars of “penny candy” in general stores where they were sold by weight and taken home in paper bags. It wasn’t until the 1930s, however, that jelly beans became a part of Easter traditions. Because of their egg-like shape, jelly beans became associated with the Easter Bunny, who is believed to deliver eggs as a symbol both spiritual rebirth based on religious beliefs and the upcoming season of spring.
