A few years ago I was injured on the job and, after two major shoulder surgeries and being laid-off by my hospital, I felt that it was time to put my bedside career to rest. Like letting go of a familiar friend, I had to let go of an identity and career that I’d been comfortable with for over three decades.
One of the things that I miss most about working in the hospital setting is working with nurses.
It’s not that I don’t miss providing compassionate and excellent care to others; I miss patient care and the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve really made a difference in someone’s life. I miss the tangible and concrete sense of pride that I’ve experienced while delivering excellent care to my patients. Patient care provided me with some of the most rewarding and spiritually uplifting experience that I’ve ever had in my life.