11/27/2023
I take so much pride in helping healthcare workers, first responders, educators, and veterans optimize their health and be the person they’ve always looked up to. Service workers often give and give until their spirits run dry. My goal is to shed light upon the possibility of self care overflowing into quality care for those we serve.
In the bustling corridors of healthcare, where every second counts and every decision matters, there exists a silent understanding, a kinship among those who dedicate their lives to the service of others. As a nurse, I am intimately familiar with this world – a realm where compassion meets duty, and where the well-being of others often takes precedence over our own.
In this unspoken fraternity of caregivers, there's an inherent bias, a tilt of the heart towards those who, like me, don the scrubs, ready to heal, to comfort, to save. This bias isn't born of favoritism, but of empathy – a deep, visceral understanding of the toll this path exacts. To maintain, let alone optimize one's health in this whirlwind of service is a Herculean task, often overshadowed by the immediacy of our patients' needs.
Yet, it is we, the service providers, who need and deserve robust health and happiness the most. For it is in our fulfillment and support that our capacity to care magnifies. When our own cups are full, we pour out care more freely, more profoundly. This isn't just about avoiding burnout – though that’s a crucial part of it – but about thriving, growing in our roles, and finding joy in this noble, relentless pursuit of healing others.
Imagine a world where those who heal are themselves healed, where caregivers are given as much care as they give. In such a world, the quality of care would rise exponentially, as fulfilled and supported health workers are able to provide strong, consistent efforts over extended periods. This isn't just an aspiration; it's a necessity, a fundamental shift that must occur for the healthcare system to sustain itself and flourish.
As a nurse, I see this not just as a professional observation but as a call to action. We must advocate for the health and happiness of our peers with the same fervor we use to advocate for our patients. After all, a healer's strength lies not just in their skill, but in their own well-being – a truth we must embrace and champion.
