This article was originally published on Kaplan Test Prep’s Calling All Nurses
Along with the many challenges RNs face, come immeasurably more benefits. In our attempt to celebrate and highlight what drives a registered nurse to compassionately care for their clients—we share monthly inspirational quotes from RNs with our colleagues, and with those who advocate for the recognition that many nurses deserve.
In this February Edition, we asked three cardiac RNs to share why they love their particular nursing specialty. Here’s what they said:
RNs participate daily in life-changing work
“I love my specialty because I get to save lives every single day I go to work. Whether it’s holding the hand of a fearful patient, or performing a life-sustaining intervention, I know that this is my purpose. Sometimes my clients thank me unconditionally for all that I do for them, and sometimes they don’t even realize I am there. Nonetheless, every single day I work, I save lives. I’m not sure what other job would be more meaningful than that.” —Cardiac Cath Lab RN of 7 years
RNs never stop learning and growing
“What I love most about my specialty is that I get to use my critical thinking skills on a daily basis, and that I have a lot of autonomy in the delivery of patient care. When patients come to our unit, we need to quickly identify possible causes for their chest pain, and then expedite interventions and medical treatment that can ultimately save their life. On my unit, it’s fast-paced, focused care, and I like that the nurses get to be very knowledgeable, working in collaboration with the cardiologists. I love cardiac observation and telemetry nursing, and I can see myself staying within this specialty for a long time.” —Cardiac Observation RN of 3 years
RNs find joy in patient relationships
“I don’t always get to see the full recovery of my clients, and sometimes that bothers me. However, the time that I do get to spend with my patients makes me really love the type of nursing that I do. It’s one of those give-and-take relationships really…some days I am heartbroken, and other days I am elated. No matter the outcome though, I just love being able to use my compassion, knowledge, and skills to help save lives, and bring hope to those in need. My clients are usually very sick by the time they get to me, and very rarely do I get to develop a personal relationship with them. Regardless of the turn of events, I absolutely love being there for my patients.” —Cardiac ICU RN of 8 years
Best Wishes,
-Damion
