Introduce Yourself... New to Steemit

So this is my "Introduce Yourself" post. I am a nurse and I am new to Steemit.

First, I'd like to talk about nurses and the nursing profession.

Nurses deal with a high amount of stress due to the physical labor, human suffering, long work hours, staffing shortages, and difficult interpersonal relationships that are related to their day-to-day duties.

As nurses, we spend the most time with patients out of any other profession within the health care field. It is down to us to check drug prescriptions, prepare and administer drugs, chase overworked doctors and care for patients and their families physically and emotionally.

Nursing requires more academic knowledge and skill than ever before. The idea that nurses simply wipe bottoms and do bed baths is incredibly outdated. Nurses are a force of intelligent, caring people who have studied degrees and developed extensive knowledge within their field.

It's important to emphasize that I did not go into nursing for the money, but I did not go into nursing to be unappreciated and underpaid either.

I constantly work 12 hour shifts, which in all reality becomes 14 to 15 hours. I give up 4 to 5 days a week of being home with my family. Then, I try to make the best out of the days we have together --- even on the days I haven’t had any sleep from staying late because we were short staffed; or working overnights on mandatory night shift rotations.

I work on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and birthdays. I miss family events and milestones while I am working weekends.

I struggle to take care of the sick when my own child is sick at home. When all I want to do is snuggle my baby, but instead I'm at work. My mom guilt kicks in. I depend on my support system, to help love and take care of my child, as I would if I could be there.

Giving up valuable time with my family and friends for the salary I'm getting and experiencing what I can only describe as chronic fatigue starts to to seem like too big of a sacrifice.

I have been a part of a team where we many times resuscitated someone who is about to die and saved them; I have spotted crucial signs of deterioration and helped prevent further decline; I have sat with patients talking about their fear of dying; I have watched patients die and I have held their loved ones' hands through it. I have held a patient's airway open and given them breaths when they were suddenly unable to breathe themselves. I have missed breaks, left late, sat with patients crying after my shift was over because their loved ones were not there. I have taught other nurses and students, and above all I work with incredible nurses who have done the same and have always been happy and felt fortunate to be a part of every single experience.

I love looking after patients and families in their darkest hours and supporting them through it, yet the sacrifices that we as nurses make for minimal pay and appreciation is demoralising. It will pain me to leave the bedside, but ultimately I believe it will be better for my holistic health.

So I hope Steemit works for me... so I can have a better quality of life with my family.