As home health nurses, it seems a shame just to have one day a year to celebrate being thankful. But before we all turn our attention to family and friends, I want to take a minute to share all that I am grateful for this Thanksgiving in the world of nursing.
I am grateful in an odd sort of way that I have a touch of a cold or something. Even though it is inconvenient and is slowing me down, it reminds me how many of patients feel. We can’t do this job without a little empathy.
I am grateful for the Federal Government without whom I would not have a job. We may call ourselves nurses and consultants but all of us are just glorified government employees being that most of home health revenue comes from Medicare and Medicaid. I just wish we had all those holidays. But OASIS-C training pays well and I am not complaining.
I am grateful for home health care aides. They not only leave our patients clean and fed, but they leave patients with dignity after cleaning up after them.
I am grateful for all the state, federal, local and JCAHO regulations. It seems that every move that a nurse makes is regulated by some governing body. This takes the burden of thinking away from the nurses and I am sure they have better things to think about.
I am grateful to the patients who welcome us into their homes and their lives. I am sure there are many nice nurses in the GI lab but not many people hold a warm place in their hearts for the colonoscopy nurse.
I am grateful for the clients who don’t know everything. I am not so grateful for the clients who don’t want to know anything.
I love coders. They are like fellow puzzle solvers and take away a serious burden from the nurses. Patients get better care because of coders.
I am so very grateful to my coworkers. Haydel Consulting Services may not be IBM or Microsoft but without my coworkers it would be nothing.
Finally, I am so proud and so grateful to call home health nurses my colleagues. I am proud when I tell people what I do. I enjoy teaching workshops and bragging on my clients or other nurses who have come up with creative ways to take care of patients. I love the laughter that y’all share. I am honored when you share the harder parts of being a nurse with us.
And that makes it a good day to be a nurse. Thanks to everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!