What does nursing mean to the nurses at WNC?

Courtesy Steve Yingling, Western Nevada College

Providing the self-less care of others on a daily basis warrants recognition.

Through National Nurses Week, nurses are recognized for the significant contributions they make to improve the health and wellness of the nation.

The week of appreciation for nurses runs through Friday, May 12, which coincides with the birth date of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.

Western Nevada College’s Nursing Program instructors and students were asked: What does nursing mean to you?

Student Ariadna Valdez

Nursing to me means life; it means to have a purpose, one that is always rewarding, because as a nurse you are putting the life and well-being of others before yours. In nursing you not only put your brain to work by critically thinking to provide the best care but your heart and soul as well to give compassionate care.

I love being a nurse because it teaches you every day; you learn from the bad and you learn from the good. In your hands you have the healing touch, either physically or emotionally, and nothing can be more rewarding for me than that.

Instructor Lisa Dunkelberg, MSN, RN

In looking back on my 34 years of nursing, the joy of helping people every day, even if it is only one person on any given day, is my proudest moment. I did not enter into nursing for the money or the prestige. I entered nursing for the love of helping and taking care of people. I am proud of the fact that I have the ability to work with confidence in multiple areas of nursing. That I can be a role model to other nurses and students. That I can pass on my knowledge to others is very satisfying. You have to be dedicated to the journey of becoming a nurse. To be a good nurse you have to love what you are doing. Nurses are amazing people.

Instructor Mary Foraker, MSN, CNL, RN

Nursing is not a career. It is an honor. Nurses serve their fellow human beings with compassion and courage to make critical, life-saving decisions on a daily basis. Nurses encounter the most beautiful, the most horrific and the most miraculous events that most people are never exposed to. And nurses do it with grace.

A recent example is the birth of Jimmy Kimmel’s baby, who was born with a congenital heart defect. A nurse recognized the symptoms and was able to expedite immediate life-saving measures.

Professor Deborah Ingraffia-Strong, MSN, RN

I have been a nurse for 35 years and I still love every day of it. I love nursing and all that it has to offer. It has often been described as a “calling,” and it is, but it is so much more. It is a desire to help others, to give of oneself when another is at their worst and to give through empathy and caring. Your patients will turn to you as the nurse for questions, clarification and advice. It is not always an easy career, but the journey is worth it. It is both challenging and rewarding beyond words. It is a career that offers the ability to truly make a difference in a person’s life, even if it is just for a moment.