A conversation and an email to a friend got me thinking about a few things today. In my last entry I wrote about how working with animals started me on this path towards becoming a nurse.
I've been working in Administration for close to a decade now and am currently employed by a health organisation. As my course starts on February 11 I'll be leaving work very shortly and most of my co-works are now aware of what I am doing. Generally they have been very supportive - including 'the bosses'.
Today one of 'the bosses' was congratulating me on getting into the bachelor of nursing program and asked if nursing was something I'd always wanted to do. Being me I was happy to honestly answer that it wasn't and when asked what made me want to do it I said that it was the work I had done with sick animals... I probably didn't answer in a particularly well though out way and am sure I came across as a ditz. I emailed a friend to tell her about it and she replied with something that struck me as central to my decision and my life - "...it reinforces the similarity in needs between animals and humans..."
And it's true - humans and animals react in such similar ways when they are sick and in pain. I've seen both humans and animals respond in ways that are aggressive, scared, appreciative of small gestures - a hand held, a soothing voice... Sometimes no matter how hard you try you can't save them... And sometimes those you think won't survive do...
And while I am sure these inital posts make it sound like I'm ignorant or naieve about the real work nurses do, I don't think that is the case - i'm going in to this expecting blood, guts, poop, vomit and things I have probably never imagined... I expect it to be hard work and there to be times when I wonder why I am doing this, but for the moment until that happens I want to focus on the good. To be excited about starting a new career... besides, reality will hit soon enough.
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