Well it’s Nurses Week again. Have you gotten that huge raise you were looking for? Or a magnificent all-expenses paid vacation? Probably not. Well don’t despair. Celebrate the fact that you are a nurse and you make a difference in someone’s life everyday!

Like any other day (or week) of the year, it’s up to you to find your own rewards in your nursing career. Nursing isn’t like a lot of other professions where you often see the end result of your efforts.

Your patients are usually with you for a very short term basis and then they go back to their own lives. You don’t get to see them recover fully, or even continue to struggle with a chronic disease. If you live in the same neighborhood, you might run into them at the grocery store or local shopping mall, but that can be an awkward moment, especially with HIPAA regulations.

So it comes down to the here and now and making the most of it. Some nurses prefer settings such as the ER because they don’t want to get too attached to their patients, but they do remember some who end up there often or who stick out in their mind for one reason or another.

Some nurses love the hospice setting because they want to help patients transition from life to a peaceful, dignified death as well as to offer support to their loved ones through this unhappy time. Others love the challenges of home health care and teaching patients to assume responsibility for their own care such as post acute care needs.

Some like the ICU for its fast pace and life or death critical thinking challenges. And God love them, there are those who love the NICU where they can help the tiniest babies with a multitude of tubes and wires find a way and a will to live.

There are those who love to teach and choose to educate nurses so that they can provide the best quality care possible, or maybe become nurse educators themselves.

Some nurses prefer to work behind the scenes in fields such as research, forensics, information technology, quality assurance, or as insurance case managers. Some become life or health coaches, and long term care managers.

Nursing offers such a wide variety of specialization and caregiving opportunities. The challenges are many. The working conditions are not always pleasant or supportive. This is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging professions. But nurses are also repeatedly found to be some of the most ethical and trusted professionals.

As you take a moment in your busy day this week. Don’t grumble about how no one noticed it was Nurses Week, or maybe how they gave you some silly token gift. Pat yourself and your colleagues on the back and say Thank You for a job well done!!

Nurses are the backbone of the health care system. Take pride in who you are and the job you do everyday. Know that you matter and that someone’s life is better today because you cared. Happy Nurses Day everyday!

©2009 by UltimateNures.com All Rights Reserved. By Kathy Quan RN BSN. Kathy is the author of The Everything New Nurse Book and is the owner/author of TheNursingSite.com.