To sum up the role of the nurse and nursing as a profession in one single quote is a near impossible thing to do. Our role is so diverse, taking place across a variety of different settings including clinical, research and education, and it is continually evolving. That is the beauty of nursing; but how do we define what makes a modern nurse? Is it possible to find a suitable quote? Are the quotes of old from the Nightingale and Seacole generation still appropriate today? I guess that’s what this whole challenge is about: to transform the perceptions of nursing.
One quote I found profoundly moving I heard this year at RCN Congress in Belfast during a discussion on suicide. The speaker, Paul Watson, disclosed a very personal story and during his disclosure he used this phrase:
“I have your back, you’ve got my ear”.
So simple yet so powerful – it truly resonated with me and I think this quote sums up nursing perfectly.
“I have your back…”
As nurses we are advocates for patients and their families: it is a requirement of the Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) Code. We always strive to do our best for them; or we should. We aren’t nurses for fame or fortune, we are nurses because we want to make a difference to people when they are at their most vulnerable. For me, this quote describes that ethos.
“…you’ve got my ear.”
Listening – truly listening – to patients and their families is so important. Whether this is in order to help allay their concerns, to respect their wishes to refuse or accept treatment in line with patient choice, or just to show them that they have been heard and are appreciated. We are often guilty of talking the talk, but I ask how much do we really listen? This quote makes me want to do better.
Lastly, this quote also speaks to me about advocating for and providing support for our colleagues and peers. Peer-support, strong supportive leadership, and mental health support for nurses and nursing students is so important. Whilst we are good at looking after our patients, we are often not so good at looking after ourselves. This quote speaks to me and reminds me that we must be there for each other, feel like we can reach out for help when needed, and that most importantly, help will be given free from judgement or stigma.
So, it may not be a famous quote, yet, but I believe it should be. So thank you Paul:
Published by Craig Davidson RN BSc (Hons) (he/they)
#HelloMyNameIs Craig. I am a Registered Nurse (Adult) working as a Senior Asylum-Seeker Health Nurse at the Asylum Health Bridging Team for Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.
I graduated with a first-class BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies degree from Glasgow Caledonian University in August 2020 where I received the Ross Hall Prize for academic excellence and achievement upon graduation. I am currently undertaking a postgraduate qualification in integrating mental health and professional practice at the University of Dundee.
I passionately believe in social justice, eradicating health inequity, and achieving equality, diversity, and inclusion in all health and social care settings. I sat on the NHS Scotland Pride badge initiative working group.
I am a former Scottish representative on the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) Students' Committee from 2018 to 2019. And assumed the chair's tenure in 2019. I also helped establish the RCN Newly Registered Nurses Network as a working group member. Additionally, I completed Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing's Nightingale Challenge for novice nurse leaders, before going on to become the European regional hub co-chair for the Nursing Now Challenge.
I co-host the award-winning podcast, "Retaining the Passion: Journeys Through Nursing", with my friend and fellow registered nurse Clare Manley. We discuss and hope to shed light on critical issues affecting the nursing profession and society more broadly by speaking to guests about their lived experiences. At the Health and Leadership Academy's 2020 Conference, we were awarded a prize for our work "Leading in Difficult Times". We were also shortlisted as finalists at the RCN's Nursing Awards 2021 in the "Innovations in Your Speciality" category. The Nursing Standard included us in a list of "Podcasts for nurses: five of the best to keep you learning while you listen".
As a nursing student, I was a Student Nursing Times editor. I was also a member of the Scottish Government's Country Specific Working Group for the Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020. In 2018, @WeNurses included me in their list of #100OutstandingNurses, one of only three student nurses included. At the National Student Nurse Congress 2019, I was shortlisted as a future nursing leader. I was also honoured to be the Student Nursing Times' Student Nurse of the Year (Adult) Award recipient in 2019.
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