clinicals= 4:30a.m. and love....

Clinicals: That time in nursing school where you become the bottom of the food chain, the last on the totem pole; the time where you have to wake up way before anyone should have to wake up so that you can get your "hands on" training. You hope that someone will be so gracious as to let you follow them around without losing all of their insanity because of all of the questions you have. But I completely love it.

Let me tell you, the worst part of clinicals is having to get up at 4:30. That's right. 4:30A.M.. If you know me, you probably don't believe that I get up that early. But it's true. I do. On my first day when that alarm clock went off, I sat up in bed and my first thought was, "O.K. I am pretty sure that there are only two other people awake at this hour: God, and my PawPaw." And out of the two, I really needed one of them to give me a push. So, I said "God if you could just give me a little extra strenth to stay awake today that would be great." In spite of my serious lack of sleep, I got out of bed, put on my scrubs and managed to make it to clinical.

But, when I got to that clinical site, the fact that i am not a morning person and that I was awake before the sun, and that I needed about 4 cups of coffee just to stay awake totally disappears. What becomes more important are the people who need care. And not just physical care; Emotional care too. These are people who have no one. They may have gone months without anyone coming to see them, or they might not even have anyone left to come and see them. Health care is quite an interesting thing, because it goes far beyond just treating someone for an illness. It is about ensuring people's all around well being. It is being there to talk to them, or giving them a hug or smile when what they are really there for is dementia, or inability to care for themselves, or a severe wound. Because even though on paper, what they need is medication, or therapy, or a dressing change, what they really want is to be loved by someone and to know that someone cares. You see, nursing truly is a ministry. And I really beg to differ with anyone who disagrees. There are many who try to separate nursing from Christianity, but it is my simple opinion that it is just not possible. I love that you can make someone's day by smiling that them, or taking two seconds to sit with them at a meal, or make their whole week just by bringing them a cup of coffee to their room. I love that I get to love people.

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." - 1 John 4:11-12

Dear Jesus, thank you for the absolute privilege of getting to make a career out of showing people your perfect love. I pray that everyday I will be able to put my desires aside to be able to give to those who need love the most. And I pray that each day that they would get to see You, not because of me, but because of what You have done through me.