Strength for Nursing

~This I Believe~

I believe in needing strength every day in order to be a nurse. The job of being a nurse constantly entails sacrifice of self for the well-being of others. Nurses need to have something to draw strength from in order to continue their job every day.

I detest feeling like I am not strong enough to do something, whether it is physical, mental, or spiritual. I hate backing down; failure is not an option for me. Feeling weak or tired is common for nurses, including me (although I hate to admit it). It is easy to get worn down by constantly looking out for other people’s comfort and health. In order to overcome or compensate for that weariness, nurses must be tough enough to never quit. They need to take on each day as if it was a mission: I often say to myself, “My task is to overcome the barriers ahead of me, and never to admit defeat until the task is performed.” That is my duty.

But if failure isn’t an option, what should I do when I just don’t have the strength to carry out my duties as a nurse? Where can I obtain the necessary strength to perform my mission? In every successful mission, there has to be a second plan to fall back on. For me, the greatest source of strength is God. He is my source of strength when I come to the point in my mission that I feel weak and incapable to perform the task ahead of me. I believe that He is there to give me the extra strength, energy, and determination I need to get through each day, and to be a caring and understanding nurse for each and every patient I come into contact with. Without knowing that there is someone stronger than me, I am hopeless. I like to feel strong enough to be able to overcome any situation, but in all honesty, I rely on God for the strength to get through each and every day. Often it takes a considerable amount of strength to believe and rely on God. It can be quite a challenge because God is a force much stronger than we could even imagine, and He is not a being that is visible to us. But just knowing that He is there “watching my back,” ready to help whenever I need Him gives me the hope and strength I need to continue.

Other people get the strength they need from a variety of other sources, but every single person (especially nurses), whether or not he or she s or admits it, requires strength to get through every single day. Some people get depressed or even commit suicide because they cannot find the strength needed to continue their life. I believe in helping the people around me to find the strength they need for living. If the strong reach out and help the weak, the weak can then become strong and help other weak people. Some people just need a simple word of encouragement here and there, and others need more than that, such as a friend that they can confide in and share all their struggles with. Often someone being there to listen and give a word of advice to a person will give the person the strength he or she needs to continue. I believe that nurses need to be constantly looking for what we can do to encourage and strengthen those around us. Even the strong people sometimes need encouragement and a listening ear.