I decided to become a nurse when I was five and received a Golden book titled “Nurse Nancy”.

I loved the stories about how this little girl helped the other children in the neighborhood by applying bandaids and comfort

I also had two wonderful grandmothers and so becoming a grandma became my other life goal. Since both were widowed and aging, I was able to help.

When I finally achieved my RN, I took my new degree to my father’s mother and she was delighted. “Think of all the people you will help!” I replied “Not as many as you have!’

She was stunned and said ” I am a useless old woman living alone and dependent on family” until I told her how much I admired her dedication to prayer.

Every since I was a little girl, my mother told my brothers and me that we were not to call Grandma between the hours of noon and three. As a devout Catholic, she dedicated those hours to praying for the poor souls in purgatory and for those people who had no one to pray for them. I told her that she helped many more people than I could as a nurse.

She burst into tears and said “I thought I was a useless old woman!”

CONCLUSION

I was honored to love and help care for both my grandmothers as they aged and eventually died. Both were examples to me as they helped whoever they could.

And I learned that being a nurse is more than just caring for the physical needs of a patient. The emotional and spiritual needs of patients-and family-are just as important.