Caring for the Religious
People are People
Support Systems
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Post Author: Dr. Ellis
It has been over a year since I have seen my Princess Airman. My 2nd daughter is in the United States Airforce. She is currently stationed abroad and I miss her dearly. Thank God for Facetime, WhatsApp, and the United States Postal Service!
I just saw her via WhatsApp this morning and wished her a productive day as she heads in to work. Never would I have imagined my shy little girl would have joined the Military. My baby Girl, my eldest daughter, followed my footsteps, and is now a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve. My girls rock and I am very proud.
I wonder how some of the Nursing students and Nurses are doing. Especially those who have traveled for school or chosen to work in areas far away from home. Do Nurse Leaders know their teams enough to know who is far from home? I loved getting to know my team members personally. The inquiries were never intrusive, they simply allowed me to know the person and not just the employee. I am so grateful for these connections.
I pray for those who are struggling through school and those on the front lines. I pray they have developed support systems and take time to connect with distant family and friends regularly.
There is nothing like family. It is sometimes worth it to give new meaning to what family looks and feels like. WE are family!
I am not here to cast blame, I am here however to ask you to think. Think about you, the only being that you can control.
What have you done? What have you done consistently? What did you fail to do? What would you do differently? No matter the capacity, are you part of this mission? Any capacity of involvement is involvement. This is NOT about rank!
While my front line may look different than yours, I am here, present and engaged. This is where I want to be at this time in history. Where do you want to be? Wherever that may be, are you ready?
2 thoughts on “Support Systems”
This very topic is how I made it to the finish line of nursing school! This program can be extremely stressful. One bad grade and the first thought that comes to mind is “this is not for me”, when in fact I am exactly where I’m suppose to be. It is in human nature to have doubts sometimes and I’ve had plenty. Nights that I’ve cried, days that I did not want to attend classes and multiple thoughts of dropping out. But my support system, my strong soldiers, they have carried me through this journey. Every advice, every prayer and every bit of motivation were like waves that pushed me from the middle of the ocean to the shore (the finish line). Having a support system gave me sanity and one thing my family and friends has pushed me to take advantage of is “me time” and those are golden.
Hi Jedline,
Thanks for your response. I love the analogy of you in the ocean. Our support systems are indeed safety vests that keep us afloat. Prayer of course is the epitome of all things necessary to support us. I appreciate your vulnerability in sharing those moments of doubt. We have all been there. I am happy that you chose to pursue your passion.
Thanks for engaging!
Dr. Ellis