Two for The Price of One
May: Mental Health Awareness Month and Nurses Week. I live in both worlds on a daily basis. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t really understand what I do. So this piece is half venting and half educational. See what had happened was……
In preparation for a Nurses Week people were asked to submit stories about their most memorable caring moments to be shared in a newsletter. They used the last 3 sentences of my submission. I was misquoted. Here’s what was printed: “ the young man who let out a sigh of relief at receiving a diagnosis and validation for MS symptoms“. The bold print in the paragraph below is what I submitted:
Everyday I have the privilege of caring for members who often present feeling overwhelmed, vulnerable, and afraid. It’s difficult to select just one memorable caring moment because something happens daily. For example, a man with schizophrenia whose disability benefits were discontinued. His father and he expressed gratitude for my taking the time to submit a letter on his behalf which resulted in the benefits being reinstated. I’m reminded of the woman who brought her infant son to a follow up appointment. She joked that maybe the baby felt comfortable with me holding him because he recognized my voice from our appointments while she was pregnant. She took a picture because she couldn’t believe how calm he was; he usually wouldn’t go to strangers. Or the young man who let out a sigh of relief at receiving a diagnosis and validation for symptoms after years of being called weak. Most days I reflect on simple things such as a member laughing because when we last met they were in distress. But nothing compares to the feeling of a person sincerely thanking me for listening, and for providing them with assistance during a difficult time in their life.
I’m trying to understand how the person making the edits thought I was discussing a patient’s MS symptoms. I work in a mental health clinic as a PMHNP (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner).My job involves the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions (I write prescriptions). People schedule appointments with a nurse practitioner or a psychiatrist when they are interested in taking medications. Yesterday I processed why this frustrated me.
The edit diminished my message. My intent was to share how rewarding it is to work with people experiencing mental health issues. The misquoted sentence exemplified the impact of stigma that people face on a daily basis. Rewording the sentence negated the young man’s reality. He suffered from mental health symptoms for years. His family called him weak and said nothing was wrong with him. During his evaluation he got excited because finally someone listened to him, believed him, and gave him a name for everything that he was going through. It’s moments like these that make me want to come to work everyday. This is how people regain control of their lives and recover. But Iet’s not talk about that, give him a physical diagnosis instead. (Insert eye roll and side eye)
2. I am a nurse practitioner working in a specialty clinic. I completed a degree program with a specialty focus. The practice of nursing is constantly evolving and involves providing care in multiple specialties. We work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, in home care, prisons, and schools. We are care coordinators, administrators, policy makers, health advocates, consultants and educators. Changing the words in that sentence negated all of this and ignored my reality. The message: a nurse practitioner is limited to taking care of physical health concerns.
I decided that I was going to be a nurse when I was 14 years old. From that point forward I made sure to take classes that would prepare me for nursing school. I worked hard to earn my degrees. I’ve never regretted my decision to be a nurse, not even on the worst days. This year marks 21 years in this noble profession. Side note: I know imitation is the highest form of flattery, but it’s really disrespectful for people to lie and call themselves a nurse when they didn’t earn that title. Please go to school and get a verifiable license.
HAPPY NURSES WEEK!