A Learning Process
Not only professionally have I learned and grown, but also personally, Nursing, to me, has been a life lesson in humility, compassion, love, and patience, while also demonstrating the sometimes cruel, nasty, and senseless nature of life.
My closest friendships have been formed through the bonds of Nursing.
The friendships you create when your blood, sweat and tears (quite literally) into a 12-hour shift with a team is something very special.
When it is 5:30 am and you are dancing to music before you prepare the morning IVs, you know it's a good friendship.
Throw a pandemic in the mix and I have to say it has been quite an interesting ride!
As many Nurses do when we think back to our early days as a new grad one word comes to mind: naive.
You tell yourself "yes, you got it in your head, the books told you this!"
As I navigated my way through my first year as a Nurse, I thought things would get easier (certainly not expecting a pandemic to be thrown into the mix!)
Three months after graduating, I moved from Ireland to the UK and was prepared for a year of getting some experience in my chosen field of Oncology.
Little did I know I was in for a 6-year adventure.
Navigating the differences in the NHS and the HSE was challenging at first, I often enjoyed seeing how things were different and the ups and downs of each shift.
I met people from all over the world, which was something amazing to me, having come from a small town.
Choosing Oncology
Oncology is my specialty, and I am so grateful to have met many incredible people down in my career.
I often feel it is a privilege to be able to help someone even in the smallest way when they are at the most difficult part of their life.
Oncology patients are the most inspiring people who have crossed my path.
Each time we get the gift of a patient returning after treatment to tell us they are in remission it is a special moment, the energy on the unit changes.
The goosebumps run down your spine, and you remember why you do this job. But it's not all roses and remission.
In fact, it's dark. It's cruel. It hurts and it's real pain for these patients and families.
I see how dark and lonely life can be.
I often have discussions with my colleagues around this and how we manage these things every day.
The truth is you build a wall, but not all walls are made to last forever.
Being Kind To Yourself
This is why I believe, as Nurses, we need to learn to treat ourselves with kindness.
How many emotions can a person absorb before they cannot absorb any more?
We do learn to put up a bit of a wall, and dark humour allows us to cope.
As I look back, I see how much I have developed as a Nurse and how my confidence in my decisions has skyrocketed.
If there is one thing I learned that we need to work on, it is treating ourselves with kindness.
It is more evident now than ever, as Nurses leave in their droves.
Yes, you do need to eat.
Yes, you do need that water bottle, and yes, you should take that toilet break.
Often in Nursing, the culture of not taking breaks can be evidently passed down through teams which is something I always try to break wherever I work: we must take our breaks.
The Privilege Of Care
To follow a patient along a journey that will often be their most challenging is a privilege.
I often think that as a Nurse we don't just ‘care’ for the patient, often the most important role of a Nurse is to empower and educate the patient.
Enabling the patient to be best equipped and in control as much as they can is something important.
Often, their lives have been turned upside down when they meet you, humor is another important tool to have in the kit.
To be a leader during the pandemic was also a major life lesson.
In a sense, it felt like entering something with a cover around our eyes.
Each day was something new, adapting out of nowhere to new changes and new policies each and every day.
I am sure a lot of us have lasting effects from that and will go on to have for many years to come.
I also learned how to ask for help. We don't know the answers to everything, nor should we.
That is why teams exist, each member brings their own strengths to the table and can become stronger and united.
Recognising when you need help is something to learn, at least for me it was.
“My journey through Nursing has given me many gifts, through the struggles and highs of caring for people at their most vulnerable.”
About this contributor
Oncology Nurse
Katie is an Oncology Nurse with seven years experience in the field. She has recently been putting pen to paper and exploring writing through the voice of a Nurse. She is particularly interested in the area of pandemic burnout and the mental health of Nurses
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