Happy Nurses’ Day

Happy Nurses’ Day

In two months, a new crop of medical school grads will show up for their first day of internship. They’ll be dropped, diapered and sniveling, onto a hospital ward and expected to go fix sick folks. 

That first year, the smart ones will learn to practice medicine from the nurses (not the other doctors). The truly lucky ones, the ones who find an oncology nurse to mentor them, will learn all they’ll ever need to know about dedication and compassion. 

Why are oncology nurses such a special breed? Because they choose to work in a field most people shun. And it’s intense. It’s hair loss and fever, fear and fervent hope, victory and tears all day every day. It’s not for the weak. 

Oncology nurses are highly intelligent, and they’ve got compassion gritted under their fingernails. They care, truly care, about their patients – probably more than it’s safe to. They pay a high price for it. But they wouldn’t choose anything else. 

This May, spend some time with an oncology nurse if you can. Watch what they do for a living. And prepare to be moved. 

Happy Nurses’ Day.