I am Yours

CHAPTER 4 3 Rules How about another great ICU moment? It's one of my favorites. But first you need to know the rules. They just might come in handy in your life too. As a RN you have to have a philosophy that is inclusive. And after many years as a Patient Care Technician, then earning my degree and license to practice as a RN, I'd developed some practical yet spiritual routines and rituals of my own. These are three rules I stick to in nursing. (And also in life.) Rule #1: Everybody is worth it. It's my opinion, God made every one of us, and if that's true, then it's my job to look after His creation. (The many stories in scripture confirm this.) Rule #2: I try to make my patients stays with me as pain-free and comfortable as possible. Easily said, not so easy to do. More often than not, I'll tell them my rules upon introducing myself, or many times to family members, not just so they know what to expect from my caring for them, but also to keep me accountable for my words. Try it sometime; it's a humbling experience when you mess up. Maybe not on par with Jesus taking all our sins, but a close cousin. Rule #3. And probably the most important of the three. In medicine, we manipulate things. We give medicine to alter or repair diseases and their effects on minds as well as bodies. We can help people breathe better, feel better, smell better, or at least make an effort to make them comfortable through whatever process is going on with them. Even when they might be dying, efforts are made. Praying is always offered and given. Each patient is a distinct individual with often insurmountable problems physically, mentally, and spiritually. We have technology, machines, and a large variety of services within the field to give expert help in almost every part of this experience we call life. But what we can't do is heal people. Only God can do that, and I'm not Him. So, I go back to Rules #1 and #2 and do the best I can for those I'm in charge of. But it's not all on us. People have the capacity to change, which has surprised me often in my practice. And not only that, many take that change and improve on it. Their next chapter is great. I've told this story countless times for many different reasons with that very hope. I've already told you about Janice, the next chapter is about Maureen. You'll find her story very uplifting.