Lynne Goldade, RN, Pirate

As promised last week, and since I don't have any more hair to show you yet, here is my pirate look.
The nice version:

 The silly version (I'm saying "ARRGH!" but I don't think it translates very well!):

While I wasn't working on my pirate persona this week, I took and passed my state nursing boards. Yippee!!! After a lot of work, I'm officially an RN!!!

I'm trying to cram three days of activities into one day today, because we're leaving on vacation tonight. So, in honor of my new status as an RN, I'm going to share with you part of the speech I gave at graduation. My classmates made me responsible for coming up with something inspiring as we launch into the world of nursing - not sure if they pawned a big responsibility off on me or paid me a huge compliment - I decided to take it as a compliment. ;) So here you go:

"Being a patient this year enhanced my education in many ways and taught me three things that we must remember as we become more comfortable in the medical world.

"The first thing is that knowledge really IS power. It gives patients the power to participate in their care, make good decisions, and to cope with a life-changing diagnosis. As a patient, it takes an incredible effort to concentrate on what the doctor or nurse is explaining. It is easy to let your mind wander while the doctor is tossing out complex medication names and describing physiological processes. Just because we said something clearly doesn’t mean our patients heard or understood it, so let’s make sure our patients truly understand what is happening to them by asking questions and reinforcing our teaching.

"The second thing I learned is that we should never underestimate the power of encouragement. Generously tell your patients “good job” or “I’m proud of you” or “you can do this.”  A couple months ago, I found out that my final cancer surgery isn’t going to be as quick and easy as I anticipated. This was devastating, because it means many more months before I can walk away from cancer. While I was processing this, Joy told me, “You can handle it.” Later, she apologized for being insensitive, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. She was telling me that I had the strength to make it through yet another challenge, and her reminder has stayed with me.

"Finally, the most important thing I learned as a patient is the power of counting your blessings. Even in the midst of cancer, or finals, or a stressful work environment, life is full of things to be grateful for, and focusing on those can radically affect your outlook. Each of you has been on my list of blessings at least once, and I have not thanked you enough for what you’ve done and how you’ve encouraged me. I know firsthand, as a patient and as a fellow student, that you are all going to be amazing nurses."

Stay warm!