What do these have in common.....

Do you know what these two photos have in common? Give Up?
They both come in all shapes, sizes, colours and can be almost anything you want them to be.

You might be thinking where is she going with this. Well a couple of places actually. Some of it positive, and some of it not so positive. I have been a nurse for 20 years....I know there are nurses out there that have been in this profession for 30 or 35 years...it was their life long passion to be a nurse. I work with some of these nurses. When I was at work yesterday and looking around me....the varying nurses that were there, the chatter that was going on....the care that was taking place. It sort of struck me that nursing is as varied as knitted socks. Knitted socks can be what ever you want them to be....they can be bold and bright, striped, boot like, cartoon characters...the list is endless. That is how I see nursing.

Nursing has changed. It's not the traditional bedside nurse that most people think of when they think of nursing. Nurses are seen in research, wound and ostomy care, Operating room, Emergency nursing, Nurse administrators, Nursing instructors/educators, Critical care, Paediatric, Neonatal intensive care, Cardiac intensive care, Nurse practitioners the list is endless.

When I went into nursing 20 years ago I originally thought that I wanted to be a paediatric nurse...after my stint in paediatric nursing I realized that it wasn't for me. I then got a passion for Palliative care and then Critical care. Nursing has been an amazing ride. It's a profession where you have an opportunity to enter into someone's life although briefly, but can make a tremendous impact on their recovery or a dignified death.

Knowing that I am going to be on the receiving end of this care, I have been paying close attention to how nurses interact with their patients. The nurses I will come in contact with will be recovery room nurses, critical care nurses and step down care nurses. All will bring varying degree of expertise. What I am hoping will stay constant is their passion for providing the best possible care they care. To be patient and compassionate. Empathetic and Caring. Is that a tall order? I hope not.

As of late, I have observed nurses who's demeanor I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I don't know what bee is in their bonnet but I wish if they were feeling that miserable that they get out of the profession or call in sick. As in many walks of life we will come across people who come from a variety of backgrounds and whether they acknowledge it or not it can impact their practise causing them to be biased or judgemental.

Now as a recovery room nurse, I care for patients coming out from a variety of surgeries....many are elective surgeries....and many not. With that each patient comes out of anesthetic differently. There are expected outcomes but some people are just more sensitive to the drugs than others and respond differently. Some have a higher pain tolerance than others. Some cry, some feel sick to their stomachs, others are fearful and yet some even laugh. I find, it is how we as nurses interact with these patients that can make a difference in their recovery process. We are often the first face they see and voice they hear when they come out of the anesthetic. They are not at their best. So for us as nurses to judge them....to say they are too needy, or that they are a "whiner" or have no coping skills is out of line. We all come to the table from different socio economic backgrounds. These backgrounds can most certainly play a role on an individual's coping skills.

So socks and nurses do share some similarities....some give you the warm cozy feeling and others are rough and scratchy. I just hope that when it comes to the day of my surgery and hospital stay, I have nurses who still have a passion for nursing and will just accept me for who I am, and that they are wearing their warm fuzzy socks that day.