Animals. They get hungry, they feed. Tired, they sleep. Angry, they fight. Bored, they play. Survival drive. What makes us different? Emotion, comprehension, religion, believes, restrain, family planning, aspirations, desires, motivation, wants, lusts… Survival drive. Eh? Same like animals what!
Before anyone commits me to psychiatric doomsday, let me prove a point. I’m always trying to prove myself. That’s what most of us do! In a Halloween party during my pre-school days, I dressed up as Superman. He’s my all time favourite, the man of steel, faster than a speeding bullet, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…*humming the theme song, gazing*. Well, here’s the thing. A classmate of mine came as Spiderman, and that worked me up quite a bit. We’d bicker at each other telling great heroic stories of the legends, stomping our feet insisting that our own is the master of the universe. My mom stopped buying me Superman merchandise after we gave each other a few pinch-mark-dark-circles, and clearly I wasn’t made of steel. Consequences of childish stubbornness.
Competition. It’s everywhere. From the queues at Donut Factory, to school sporting events, to expressways, and of course in our work places. I remember telling my brother how it’s so different for us nurses compared to the corporate world. How we don’t immerse ourselves with ‘Fashion Screenings’, ‘Brand Scans’, or ECG’s:- ‘ElectronicCashGrams’. Yet, we nurses drive at are equivocal. Recognition, appreciation, promotion. Ooh, how our eyes glow green in envy now as this thought hits hard as we think of the people who were recognised, appreciated, and promoted. The ones whom we ickily disagree of their raved esteem. I have come to realise that in nursing, it’s not as simple as just subtracting an ’I’ from your title (i.e. SN II to SN I), or adding an ass ‘S’ to it (SN to SSN). What irks me most, is that we nurses do think it is as simple as that. See it this way, subtracting an ‘I’ means there should be less of yourself but more of others. Disregarding the need to satisfy self and being able to look into the needs of others (SN I I ). Or being an ass-set to the entire team in teaching, mentoring, and auditing (SSN).
The large number of nurses in one organisation makes it difficult for anyone to be promoted with automacity. Hence I fully understand if it does take a little more time for my turn. Yet I know of colleagues who were denied of any form of recompense, nor tangible accolades. Colleagues who look beyond themselves and proved to be an asset. This has to be looked at with deep consideration, thus resolving attrition due to organisational dissatisfaction.
I like to think that we nurses are all about ‘Making A Difference’. Here’s something I spewed during our last Nurses’ Day Celebration here at TTSH.
I chose to be a nurse for the smiles on the elder’s faces,
for the appreciation of the cared,
and the joy in lives restored.
For a dose of sleepless nights sponging patients,
an injection of adrenaline resuscitating,
and an infusion of fulfillment when one discharges home.
For the love we share for our patients which surpasses mere human understanding,
for the sacrifices we make to reach and achieve goals aspired.
For we are strong and committed,
willful and spirited,
caring and compassionate.
I chose to be a nurse,
because of nurses.
It’s also for the fulfillment in being a role model to juniors and being an encouragement to seniors.
So I contradict myself again, we are nothing like corporate animals. Because we do Make A Difference.
03/06/2009 at 8:34 am
Thanks for the insight. You definately Make a Difference by sharing you thoughts and observations. Cheers
03/06/2009 at 11:57 am
It’s always a trying process to be a difference. Thanks for the opportunity too! =)
03/11/2009 at 8:08 pm
Admirable, not only being aware of your competitive self, it’s beyond bravery you even reflect it. Agree… competition it’s everywhere. Whether it’s a fire to destroy or a fire to give warmth, depends on the person utilizing it.
Honestly, I thought it takes too much time to get promoted before.. yet shortly a week into my Master course at age 26… I gloomed over my future. So what I’m a master graduate at 28, become NM at age 31.. what am I going to do for the next 10 years? Which I will only be 41… Pursue PhD? Climb the career ladder a bit more… or look for opportunities that bring in more money? After that… what’s left? Please don’t mis-interpret, these roads are fine… just I’m particular in finding the “meaning” in the act itself.
I wish to stay in clinical nursing till age 60.. wishing to continue doing what I’m doing currently. Yet this also comes with a package of dealing with the potential long years of vampire perceived eternity torture — “status quo”.
And when I see my peers around me, they are much more happier… contented.. glowing beautifully and I do envy them… maybe at the end of the day, if I can start making a “glow” in my own life… and knowing that it takes more than promotion, recognition to create this “glow”… then I might be able to transfer this “glow” to nursing.. or at least I hope.
03/13/2009 at 12:27 am
masters at 26……
03/14/2009 at 10:07 pm
Status quo… a very dangerous predicament. I do hope no one stays in that wormhole for too long =)
Taking up Master’s Degree is like being in the cream of the crop!
In my ICU, we are very privileged to have a Neurosurgery APN who is very knowledgable and reliable as an information source.
Rock on, all APNs!
03/21/2009 at 2:14 pm
I too think that`s the way to go and that is to specialized to be APN for all nurse who are passionate and wants to go far
03/21/2009 at 7:16 pm
Lolz… love the “read between the lines” messages. Trifling with diplomacy versus harsh critisicm.
We’re all motivated differently. To me, to have the MASTER-y of what I am doing. To have more say and influence in the live of others, for the better and positively.
Nursing as a career choice, most decide to grow and mature with it over time. Certainly it is upsetting to realise, you’ll be deny the opportunity to do so.
Monetory and status aside. Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. And the beautiful thing about knowledge is that no one can take it from you. Unfortunately these same cliche statements fail to provide the satisfaction for most. Neither do they pay the bills.
Cairo.
03/24/2009 at 9:06 pm
Good one…
It’s great that you are not able to accurately identify the concerns facing many nurses today but yet protray a very positive outlook of dealing with such concerns
03/26/2009 at 11:52 am
ur poem is very well-written:) U have all the criteria of 5Cs in nursing=)
03/30/2009 at 5:07 am
eh? what is 5Cs ah?