Hey You~ Happy Monday!

This past week held within it my first week of being an independent nurse…I had my own patient load, my own care plans, my own interactions, my own schedule, my own relationships…with this independence, came my own realization of the brokenness of our world, the hurting people, and the situations that seem so hopeless…and I watched as the other nurses on the unit spoke of such brokenness and hurting in their patients with a lack of sensitivity, a lack of emotional response, a lack of realizing the depth of the pain and brokenness of their patients, while I went home so emotionally moved and a bit undone…wishing that I could mend the brokenness of my patient’s stories…wishing that I could reverse the conversation needed to explain to the excited new parents that their newborn baby had a neuro defect…wishing that I could reverse the post-partum hemorrhage of the new mom who almost died and didn’t see her baby until hours after being in the OR…

The other nurses, they’ve seen a lot…they’ve learned to bear the burden of compassion fatigue by numbing…

“It makes me wonder if we’ve lost our capacity to weep.

We need to dare to come face to face with desperate need in the world around us and ask God to do a work deep within us that we could never manufacture, manipulate, or make happen on our own.

We need to be open to a whole new world of what God wants to do in and through our lives” (Platt, D).

This blog post from David Platt…his words, they met me where I was at…they reminded me of the beauty that comes with daring to face the desperate needs of humanity with compassion, and letting it move me…

This career…it will challenge me in finding the balance between caring too much and not caring enough…between compassion fatigue and numbing my emotions. Thankful that this career that I am entering into will bring more than just a paycheck…it will bring personal growth, it will challenge me in my spiritual journey and it will continually shape my heart to care for the hurting.

Academics & Adventures: 

*Week 1 is in the books! This past week felt like so much more than just 7 days….I had a five hour orientation, 3 12-hr shifts in the hospital, post conferences, and counseling, quality improvement meetings with labor and delivery management and NCLEX study sessions. The fullness of my week reminded me of my ‘why’…why I’ve always dreamed of being a nurse and why I’ve pursued this for so many years….thanking God for reigniting this passion!

Must-Haves: 

*Comfy Clothes from Aerie… time to get your comfy on! Love this casual, comfy long-sleeve and it’s on SALE!

*No Place Like Known… This book is on my ‘to read’ list…because everyone needs to know that they belong, that they’re known and loved, and seen by God.

 Goals for the Week:

*Just Be. With a full life it can be easy to forget the beauty of stillness…the beauty of treasuring quiet moments…the beauty of simply resting. This week, my goal is to hold on to this beauty and enjoy the quiet moments amidst the 12-hr shifts, the late nights spent finishing homework and the hours spent in skills lab and SIM and taking practice NCLEX exams.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Love to you friends & Blessings on your week!

Blessings,
Lindsey