Appreciation

The past month I have been feeling a lot of burnout from work and have been working with some particuarlly difficult patients. People literally open their lives up to you and it's been difficult for me at times to not bring the emotions from work home with me. Seeing people struggle with depression, drug overdose, drug addictions, and abuse has made me so grateful for the comforts that I enjoy on a daily basis.

Just last week I recieved a letter from a patient I had cared for a while back. People have always been very appreciative of the care they recieve, but this was a first! It was a simple letter, but it meant the world to me and that quickly I was able to put everything aside and remember why I chose to be a nurse. It felt so good to know I had made a difference in that persons life for that short moment. I've found being a nurse can be exhausting, but I'm so greatful I chose it as a career.

Since that letter, I have thought a lot about how I show appreciation to those around me. This patient mentioned in his letter that "all too often when we recieve great customer service we think that was nice and go about our lives, not giving recognition..." and I thought to myself why is that. It's interesting how something as simple as saying thank you often goes unsaid. People love to feel appreciated and needed, and I hope to make a greater effort to acknowledge and be appreciative of the things people do for me...