People have asked me many times why I chose to become a nurse. I tell them it’s a calling. It’s something that was so deep inside me that I didn’t even recognize it until my mid-30’s. Once I realized that I was meant to be a nurse, however, there was no way I could do anything else. 

I find such joy and satisfaction of caring for people at their worst. Is it selfish to find satisfaction in helping people? I don’t think so. I feel instead, that I am blessed to have to skills to help, and the compassion to want to help. The good feelings that arise from that are part of the blessing. 

This column is short because I want to hear from you, Dear Reader. Why are you a nurse? If you are a nursing student, why are you becoming a nurse? What is it about this profession that draws you to it?

A little over a year ago, the opportunity arose for me to spend some time volunteering in a local clinic. Always being one who wants to ‘give back’ as much as I can, I have spent the last 13 months giving my time the first Wednesday evening of each month to this clinic.

It has been a rewarding experience all around.

The clinic is a primary care office, and the Wednesday evening teams allow for more patients to receive care. We schedule approximately 6 – 8 appointments in the 2-hour time block that we are there; added to the three other weeks’ teams, that allows for a potential of 48 patients to receive care.

Pretty impressive, eh?

The work itself is easy. Check the patients in, get their vitals. Draw blood or obtain urine if needed. Check finger-stick blood sugar as needed. It’s nothing I couldn’t do practically in my sleep. My co-volunteers are a fun bunch, and we spend our time between patients chit-chatting about all sorts of things.

The impact of the clinic on the community, however, is deep.

Located where we are, there are many people facing trials and tribulations that we suburban middle class volunteers will likely never face. The clinic has a bathroom, a telephone, and sometimes free food. Basics that many of take for granted are there, freely available to those in need.

It’s a warm place in the winter and a breath of cool AC in the summer.There is a protective aura around the clinic and even though the neighborhood is not considered one of the safest areas to be in, there is never any trouble there.

Volunteering is not always easy, with my school schedule, work schedule, and the responsibilities of feeding, clothing, and caring for my kids and husband. I sometimes think that I have to let it go, that I am stretched too thin.

But then I will see how we helped someone who was lonely and scared by just giving her a moment of our time, or how I was able to help a patient understand his medical condition and I realize that I will continue to do this, as long as I am able.

I have decided to take the plunge and get started on my BSN. I have two required classes that are outside the ‘core’ classes and so to save time and money, I’ve decided to take them at my local community college, the same school where I obtained my nursing degree. 

I am required to take a biology class, and I chose one that teaches about HIV/AIDS. This is a very interesting class and quite relevant to my practice as a nurse. The class is not required as part of the nursing curriculum, but I wish it had been. It is shaping up to be fun and interesting.

The other class, however, is the dreaded statistics class.
I tried this class once before, and ended up withdrawing. My neurons weren’t making the connections properly and it felt like being immersed in a language that everyone understood except me. This time, I am going in with a hopeful attitude and an open mind.
However, I am also going in knowing that if I can’t manage to pass this class this time, I can not and  will not put myself through it again. This, of course, would mean that I will not be able to attain my Bachelor’s degree, and then will ultimately not obtain my MSN either and therefore will not achieve my dream of being a Nurse Educator.

No pressure, eh?

I understand on an intellectual level that statistics are an important part of nursing in the new millennium because so much of what we do is reliant on evidence-based practice. And in order to properly use evidence-based material, we must be able to understand the research behind the studies. Yes, I see that clearly.
But on a purely emotional level, I am just hoping to pass this class with a C and be done with it.

My family is supportive. My son took statistics his first year of college and has offered to help me. My daughter, who is a freshman in high school, has also learned many of the concepts being presented and she agreed not only to help me with the concepts, but she has also volunteered to help me with my calculator. As in how to do things other than add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Oh yes, this is going to be an interesting semester all around!

I am proud to be a nurse. If you ask me about it, I will tell you about it. I’ll tell you all about nursing school, what it’s like in the various areas of nursing in which I’ve worked, and various interesting cases I’ve seen.

I have come to a conclusion though.

If you don’t already know that I am a nurse, or if you don’t figure it out somehow, I am probably not going to tell you.

Why, you ask, when I am so proud to be a member of my profession?
Let me explain.

I can’t count the number of times when polite conversation of the “Oh, what do you do?” sort turns into a listing of personal medical experiences. I have had people, upon learning that I am a nurse, divulge information about themselves that is best kept between themselves and their medical provider.

Seriously.

Professionals at professional (non-medical) functions have no need to explain to me about their colonoscopies and the resultant findings. Classmates really don’t have to share with me the list of medical procedures and treatments they’ve had. Often times I am also asked “Oh, do you know Dr. So-and-So?” When I say I don’t, people seem surprised, and perhaps a bit disappointed. I’ve taken to saying “I’ve heard great things about Dr So-and-So!” I don’t know what to do about this whole phenomenon. I am proud to be a nurse and I love to talk about nursing—in general terms. I just don’t need to hear everyone’s medical histories at a dinner party or in a class.

I don’t know; maybe from now on I’ll just tell people I’m a welder.

In response to a previous post regarding the presidential elections, Nurses Station Blog received the email listed below:

 You could make a big difference in this election.  The public needs to know how big pharma, health management entities and insurance companies have been diverting health care dollars to profits, which if redirected to actual care could provide enough for universal health care. 

The Republicans have brought you:
•    Medicare money squandered on managed care corporations and CEO pay instead of doctors and nurses.  This money has driven half their profits, even though it is only 20% of their business according to Oppenheimer and Co.
•    Soaring pharmaceutical company profits due to a prohibition against negotiation of drug prices, as documented in Congressional hearings
•    Diversion of 50% of health care dollars to insurance companies instead of health care providers as documented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
•    Increased manufacture of pharmaceuticals in China with a massively under funded FDA so stretched that it would take 40 to 50 years to inspect them all.

How did this happen?  Because the health care conglomerates, not doctors, nurses and patients, have the ear of Washington politicians.

McCain wants to further loosen controls on insurance companies by allowing them to sell insurance across state lines.  State insurance commissioners will not have the resources to monitor insurance companies working nationally.  

Obama wants a federal registry for insurance companies to monitor how much they pay out in benefits and how they treat their customers.

We can have universal health care, but we need to cut the outrageous profit that is being made on health care and funnel the money to actual health care providers.

SJ Robinson is health care advocate and author of The Price of Death, a novel about corporate greed in the health care system and the legal and medical professionals who make a difference.  To learn more, go to sjrobinson.com