" I'll stand by you. 

Take me in, 

into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you

I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you

Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you ..."  

                                                    -The Pretenders '94

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                           - a note from Val

I asked six nurses a simple question.  I asked them separately. They do not know each other.  They vary in age: 30, 34, 50, 63, 78,  88.  And all gave me the same answer. 

My question:  What is the essence of a good nurse?

Then I looked it up on line.  Search: Nursing;  Search: What defines a nurse?  Search: What is the role of a nurse?  Search:  Definition of nursing.  Search: Why is a nurse important?

The difference between the job description and the humans doing it is the magic...

Before I reveal the answers below, the descriptions and the human quotes, I'd like to dedicate this blog post first to my mother who's 88 and a registered nurse (signed on for life). That's her photo above, and she exudes every quality of a good nurse which carried over into her mothering. She is my role model and mentor. She is one of the oldest participants in Harvard's "Nurse's Health Study" launched in 1976 to follow registered nurses aged 30-55 years from across the U.S. to participate in a long-term study on women's health. I'm also dedicating this post to a few of my very dear friends who are nurses. Plainly stated, they walk the walk. From the core of their being, they care. 

A few of our friends and family members are top doctors at some of the largest hospitals in the country. In speaking with them, it's clear that their work is their passion and their love. It's also clear that now, every day when they walk into work, they fear that their work could make them very ill. Nurses are on the front line with them with the same risks. Nurses are the right-hand to the doctor and the right-hand to the patient. Their value is what we cannot fathom; their value is what we should not take for granted. Read further to understand, for they say it best:

My quick perfunctory search on line:

The quick responses from my nurse friends, to whom I sent the question, 'What is the essence of a nurse?'  and each replied literally in 5 minutes with the following. I did not edit one word. Need I say more?

"Nursing is "a calling". I was born to do this and nothing else. I'm a better nurse than mother. It's just completely nature to me, totally ingrained in my DNA...  Listening is the number one quality. You listen with your whole body. It's amazing..."  -Nan  59

"The essence of being a nurse is having innate compassion. It can't be taught, it's just how you're wired. What epitomizes a good nurse is being able to be present, selfless, nurturing and be a voice of wisdom..."   -Therese  62

"I wanted to be a nurse, and I loved being a nurse. My nursing in a hospital setting was a short timeframe. But throughout my whole life the desire to nurse stayed with me. It is me. The whole of me. You can't want to acquire it or learn it. You're born with it..."  -Dalis  88

"Being a nurse is about putting others before yourself. We are nurses because we care deeply about helping and educating others. We are with people during their most vulnerable times and it's an honor to be a part of their journey..."  -Samantha  32

"Patients see nurses, often on the worst days of their life, in strange situations. Nurses are the liaison between patients and doctor. Twenty four hours with nurses and much less with the doctor... "  Sam  81

"The essence of nursing is about caring. Without judgement. Without discrimination. Caring for all aspects of a patient's life (and in some cases, death.)  Giving whatever you can of yourself to help another person ..."   Rebecca  34