So what does one think about during a week in the hospital? I have found myself thinking about the difference between a calling and a career.
Shift Change
To begin with, I want to be clear, careers are great, we all need one. Something magical happens when we can marry our career with a calling.
I began to think along these lines as I wondered who my nurse would be at each shift change. There was a difference between them. All were good, some simply awesome.
Revelation
The difference did not hit me until this morning. My roommate is in a rough spot. You can pray for Willie. His news is not good and it is rough being here alone hearing that your options are becoming fewer.
A nurse was working with him and asked if he wanted to wash himself up. He said he would. Honestly, it is something that is just a bit outside his ability level right now. One of the CNA’s jumped in and said, “Mr. Willie, let me help you with that.” She spent the next twenty minutes helping him get all cleaned up.
I recognize the difference between the roles of a nurse and a CNA, but there was something else going on within this interaction. Whereas the nurse provided the basin of water and said, “ring me when you are done and I will come back” the CNA saw the deeper need and jumped in. [Read more…]
