Nurse as superhero
When people think about their childhood and growing up, most of us have a series of collective moments that we remember. And for as long as I could remember, I wanted to be a superhero. My childhood was filled with images of heroes rescuing people from danger or evil that lurked in the shadows. As a small boy, I would often wear a cape and mask, and then swoop in to save the day.
The patients on the North end of the 7th floor at Golisano's Children Hospital have a variety of illnesses. Sometimes, they’re battling multiple ailments at the same time. Parents on this floor sometimes are met with the news that any parent would dread: that their child has been diagnosed with a serious medical issue, such as cancer. As the parents are left scrambling with questions and uncertainty, the doctors do their best to answer and reassure them. Most kids cannot begin to understand what cancer is, or what is wrong with them, and most of them are just scared to be in the hospital.
It is at this moment for the children and their families that their hero swoops in. The nurses on 7 North are able to rescue these children from the depths of their illness to a place where they can feel like kids again. We sing with them, play with them, talk to them, hold them, and treat them as if they were one of our own. Every nurse always remembers their "first diagnosis" patient, because at that moment after the patient and families are told the terrible news, something magical happens. An ordinary person wearing an "RN" badge walks in and becomes something more than just a nurse delivering medications.
The power of nursing here on 7 North is real. We save lives and we bring hope in the darkest of times. We know the patients just as well as their parents do, and when their child becomes sick, we do our part to get them the special care they need. And for the days when our special Nursing powers are not enough, we comfort the families, and we cry together. We understand our jobs are tough — that the same child we sing "Let It Go" to could be the same one we will weep about someday. But we will never tire of inspiring these children and their families to keep fighting. That power helps them come back day after day and gives these patients the hope and ability to make them smile and laugh. Sometimes, an “ordinary” person that can bring a smile to a sick child is just the type of superhero the world needs.