January 26, 2017

THE REASON I BECAME A NURSE…

Some of you may know, other that are new may not, but I am a pediatric nurse. It is something that I love and am super passionate about. I don’t work in a hospital or nursing home, I work doing home care with chronically ill special needs kids. Kids like my brother Matt (you can read his story here). If you are familiar with Matt or read his story you will know that he has a list of disabilities. Disabilities that make his life a lot harder than ours… That could mean that he complains all the time, that his life is sad, or that he doesn’t have a good quality of life. However, I am here to tell you that none of those things are true about him. He is the happiest boy I have ever met. I have never heard him complain once about his circumstances. My parents have given him the most amazing quality of life. He has been skiing, swimming, 4 wheeling, snowmobiling, everything. Just because he is in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that there isn’t a way for him to do everything that everyone else is doing, it may be a little harder, but where there is a will, there is a way. 

Matt was born with Down Syndrome, which honestly is my favorite thing about him, this is really selfish but I am so glad he was born with it to bless so many lives. When Matt was 4 he became wheel chair bound and on life support of a ventilator. His ventilator breathes for him because he can not breathe on his own. I don’t remember much from this time of my life, just that he was in the hospital for a really long time and that we were blessed to have so many friends and family take care of us so my parents could stay with Matt at the hospital. When Matt came home, we also welcomed nurses into our home. Matt can not ever be left alone, if he comes off of his ventilator then he will die. He can not breathe on his own for longer than a few minutes so we have to have someone with him all the time. Our nurses come at night so my family can sleep, and then randomly for a couple hours through the week so my mom and dad can have a break to run to the grocery store, etc. I will never forget being so little and having these new faces in our home. They quickly because part of our family. I would watch my moms face be filled with relief after a long day with Matt when the nurse would walk in the door. These nurses love(d) Matt like he is/was their own child. They would laugh and joke, play games, and care for him. They are truly heaven sent in our home. 

When it became time for me to decide what I wanted to be when I “grew up” it wasn’t a question. I wanted to be a nurse like the nurses that came into my home. I wanted to be that face of relief for a parent when they needed to walk away for a little bit, the nurse that was so blessed to take care of such a special little kid and to become their best friend. I wanted to be someone to love these kids, take care of them, give them an amazing quality of life, etc. That is what I wanted to be. I was so blessed to have experience with tracheotomies and ventilators that scared my classmates, to know what the job would intel before I had one, and to have a job ready and waiting for me the minute that I had my license. It all was/is so perfect. 

When I see scrubs, I see love, trust, faith, and determination. I see someone that is there to have the patients best interest at all times. Someone that loves these kids, looks past their disabilities, and is there to have a bond with them and become their best friend. There is nothing more that can bless your life than these sweet kids. They truly are a slice of heaven. Scrubs to me hold such an amazing meaning, they remind me of my past and how far Matt has come, they remind me of why I became a nurse, and all the patients that have truly blessed my life. Scrubs aren’t a silly thing to make fun of, they are something of a nurse that hasn’t gone to the bathroom for hours, hasn’t had a meal in 12 hours, and haves been on their feet all day taking care of your loved ones. They are the people trained to know that if something seems out of place to take care of it before your loved one has complications or becomes sick. They are something filled with love and heart of serving others.

Landau Scrubs are my favorite brand of scrubs to wear as a nurse. They hold up with running my patients through the snow so they can know what it feels like, playing on the floor, and blood, sweat, tears, and everything in between. I love that they help me to look put together and professional as a nurse. They have a ton of different colors and sizes. I love how flattering they look and that they are easy to throw a jacket over if I am cold. Plus, you can buy them on Amazon so what is better than that?

Next time you see scrubs or a nurse, think about their heart, the way they care, and that they probably have been on their feet for hours, haven’t had a meal, or even gone to the bathroom. Thank them. They are the ones that are doing patient care constantly and reporting to the doctor what needs to be done. Nurses are amazing people, our family has been so blessed with so many amazing nurses and I hope that I can be that nurse for just one family. 

xx
dani

Landau Scrubs Giveaway

Photos by Kelsie EmM Photography