For the Love of Nursing
In the emergency unit, they are the first ones to evaluate you when you go through triage. In the clinics and departments, they do routine tests, take your vitals and walk you through whatever notions or homecare you have to assimilate.
Up on the floors, nurses are the people our hospitalized patients see the most. They provide care, do blood tests, give medication and help manage pain amongst other things. They also play a vital role in patient-doctors relations whether it is by providing information on the evolution of the patient’s state or by explaining to the patient the treatments prescribed by the doctor.
Nursing is a particular profession. It requires an important knowledge of the human body as well as psychosocial skills. To fulfill all that is required in a given day, from filling paperwork, providing care to patients and other related tasks, nurses have to be organized, efficient but also caring.
Nurse Manager Georgia Niarchos is a good example. She chose nursing because she wanted to help people and because she cared about others and wanted to accompany them through their toughest times.
‟I always knew I wanted to make a difference. It was important for me to find a way to give back and that’s why being a nurse was an easy choice. I like to think that we provide more than physical care, we also accompany our patients and guide them through these challenging times. It takes people skills to be a good nurse and I have to say, it takes a lot of dedication too.”
Being a nurse is more than a job, it’s a calling.
Georgia has worked at the MGH as a nurse for the last 21 years and now she manages a team of nurses.
‟Being a nurse is a calling. You don’t stop being a nurse when your shift is over. Whenever I see an accident on the road or an injured kid at my son’s hockey game, you can be sure that I will stop to assist if help is not already provided. I’m Georgia, I’m a person, but even before that, I’m a nurse. ”
When asked about their medical journey, patients who have known their share of medical appointments and hospital stays often talk about the nurses who took care of them. They are grateful for the care provided to help them get back on their feet. These women and men undeniably enhance the patients’ recovery and experience during harsh times.
This Women’s Day, let’s take a moment to thank all the Montreal General Hospital women who, like Georgia, dedicate their lives to taking care of our patients, friends and family members.
