Top 10 things this nurse is thankful for

For nurses, being thankful is a state of being. We spend our time at work and away from work thinking on how fortunate we are to be “ok.” Here are my top ten reasons to be extra-thankful at this time of year when the Thanksgiving holiday is on my mind:

I am so thankful I have a paying job. Looking at the economy, both nationwide and within my own healthcare system, I’m thankful to be able to punch in when so many people can’t claim a paycheck.

I am thankful for my patients. Constantly I am educated and humbled by them. I meet some amazing people and am so happy to care for them.

I am thankful for my co-workers. My team and how well we work together is crucial to my success as a nurse.

I am thankful for my specialty. I am one of those nurses who got a job right away in the area of nursing I love. I have friends who are “stuck” in a job they hate in healthcare and that is a really hard path. It makes our already difficult profession almost impossible to bear! I love what I do, which is a huge reason to give thanks.

I am thankful to be alive. Life is so much more precious to those of us who see people losing it while we are “just at work.” Nursing has taught me to cherish not only my life, but all the lives around me.

I am thankful for my able body. How often have I seen nurses injured on the job or because of the job which makes it impossible for them to work? Thank God I am healthy right now!

I am thankful for health insurance. Part of being a nurse is having good benefits, and in our world today, that means a lot! With the healthcare crisis looming and my own encounters with patients that don’t have the luxury of health insurance, I am frequently reminded of how valuable being able to obtain healthcare for myself and my family is.

I am thankful for my faith. I believe that not only do nurses need faith, nursing builds our faith. Thank God for prayer–it gets me through every shift.

I am thankful for my education. If I hadn’t made it through nursing school, I wouldn’t be here today! I am so thankful for the people and the school that provided my good foundation in nursing. I use their wisdom every shift. And every time I pay my student loan I am reminded of just how valuable my education is to me and my loved ones.

I am thankful for comfortable shoes. It may seems like a small thing, but only other healthcare professionals know what I mean when I say, “God bless supportive shoes.”

I am thankful for all the people in my life who love me. They put up with a lot. ‘Nuff said.