The past two months this question, “What are you grateful for?” has become part of my daily mantra as a nurse and as a person. Not that I am not grateful of all the good things that life has brought and continuously bringing onto me- but this time I begin to live more with the consciousness of asking myself at the end of the day and before I sleep- of things, events, and people that I am thankful for.
Reading my previous blogs you would learn that our family moved from Massachusetts to Florida; that I started a new job; and if you read more from the archives, I have expressed that sometimes I have the second thought of changing my career. For those who don’t know, nursing is a stressful job and every now and then, the least rewarded too. With little appreciation, sometimes that breaks someone’s spirit. When I came on board with my new job, I thought it will be no different from the past I had. One thing that makes it distinct from my previous place of work, is the huddle. For those who’s unfamiliar and for short definition, huddle is what nurses do before/after a shift starts/ends. We talk about highlights of the shift. With my experience in the past, what I mostly hear during huddle were things nurses fell short. In some but not most occasions there are simple praises. What happens during huddle sets the tone of what a nurse’s day will likely be. This is the part that I struggle with sometimes.
Five weeks of orientation to a new job made me realized the unique experience of a huddle. It starts with the two questions: “Who are you grateful for?” and “Who connected with a patient?” The first question pertains to someone that made an impact on your day- a fellow nurse, an aide, a therapist or anybody that made your shift a lot easier. The second question is about who made a good relationship with a patient- someone that you learned more about in the 12hr shift. Between the two, the former made the most impact for me personally and as a nurse for the reason that it is a different experience from what I have in the past. That simple question is encouraging and leads to a positive feeling to start a day. Even though that my name is not called, it is equally impactful to know that someone felt appreciated from lending another hand to a colleague. It is a rewarding feeling. Little did I know, I look forward to huddle. 😉
The same question I ask myself when I wake up. On a personal level, there are so much I am grateful for. I feel blessed that I have a partner and two dogs that make up my family. They are my rocks and pillars that make me great. I am thankful to have a rewarding job with fantastic and wonderful colleagues that help me continuously grow as a nurse. I am happy that I have dependable and encouraging friends that serve as my support group in every endeavor I embark. And lastly, I am mostly grateful that we are blessed with a beautiful planet. With my evolving passion with photography, I am able to capture its natural wonders.