Highest Praise For Nurses

This past Saturday I had the honor of sharing my cancer story at the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing for the California State Long Beach Induction Ceremony.

When I was first invited by Melissa, my dear friend and gifted nurse and  Professor of Nursing at CSULB, I didn’t have to think twice. My respect and appreciation for nurses is off the charts after my cancer battle. I jump at any opportunity to thank and encourage nurses. Turns out this week is Nurses Appreciation Week. So I wanted to dedicate this post to all the magnificent  nurses who are making a difference in the lives of countless individuals and families.

I ended my talk with an excerpt from my book, Warrior In Pink, and wanted to share it here as well.  Dedicated with deep respect and gratitude to the new inductees to the Nursing Honor Society as well as my personal nurse hero friends: Nicole, Melissa, Sherri, Bessie, Meghan, Mandy, Terry, Jacqui, Aunty Hilda, Cora, Tien, and many, many others…

Throughout my cancer treatment, the nurses impressed me most. I appreciated my doctors, but the nurses were the heart and hands of my healing journey. They answered my questions, returned my calls, offered suggestions, and walked closely beside me. They helped me know what to expect, what to look out for; they were the accessible ones, the personal lifeline when treatment felt confusing or uncertain. They possessed not only the extraordinary intellect to understand the complex human body, and they balanced their vast knowledge with compassion and the ability to move toward people and into their pain. (Warrior In Pink, page 68)

Hug the neck of a nurse and tell them “thank you” today! And feel free to share this post with other nurse heroes you know…