Life | Life Lessons

What Three Nurses and Sir David Attenborough Taught Me About Being True to Your Calling

Passion is a quality that not all possess; do you have it?

The district nurse arrived, they come every other day now. Over the past month, we have had over 10 different district nurses visit the home to tend to my terminally ill dad.

The nurses who have visited have differed in their approach. Some in good ways and others in, well, not-so-great ways. Some had passion. Others did not bring it with them.

Now before we go any further, let me start by saying we are thankful to have the district nurses’ support and hold nurses in top regard. They do a job that I could not do, I am not suited to nursing. To be honest I used to gag when my children were being sick and get squeamish at the sight of blood. I hold nurses in high esteem for the valuable work that they do. With that out of the way, let me continue.

What I noticed during the visits led me to consider what we each bring to the table when doing our day-to-day work and even in our life.

We may be writers, but why do some go further than others?

We all have one life, but why do some inspire more than others?

Take Sir David Attenborough, in his mid-nineties, has been named “Champion of the Earth” by the UN for the work he has done for this planet. A truly inspirational human.

“The whole of life is coming to terms with yourself and the natural world. Why are you here? How do you fit in? What’s it all about?” Sir David Attenborough

Why do some go so far in life like that and others just, well, flounder around not sure where the path is leading them?

Here’s what I observed, during the visits from the district nurses.

Three of them stood out, the rest fell into one of these below categories.

The first one had the “Let me get the job done, I’ve lots to do” attitude.

This nurse was still finding her way. The first time she came, she was under the instruction of a more experienced nurse. After that, she came alone several more times. She also appeared quite anxious each time. Choosing to set herself up in a secluded area away from us, whilst preparing the medications. She hardly chatted or interacted. Nothing wrong with that; she needed to concentrate, after all.

But her approach made her come across as…clinical.

She had a job to do. Tasks to complete. And that is what she did.

I wondered if she fully saw her patient. I mean saw him emotionally and not just as a patient. Because when she spoke to him, it was directive statements, such as “You’re okay, your pain is okay, I’m going to change your meds.” It felt like she was telling him rather than looking for an answer. She appeared like she wanted to end the visit as quickly as possible and without any additional tasks to complete.

She did her job. But she made little impression. By the time she arrived for her third visit, we hoped she wouldn’t be back too often. We are all different, but human compassion goes a long way with whatever you do. I wondered why her passion was lacking it is not something you can learn, unlike gaining experience. Don’t be the person that no one wants to receive a visit from again. The person who no one wants to deal with. Or work with. When you find what you want to do, always bring passion to it, otherwise, maybe it is a time for a change.

The next nurse had the “I’m Experienced, listen to me” manner.

I know this point should be about an experienced nurse, but the next nurse type who stood out was actually a student nurse. Stick with me and I will explain. The student nurse was young, with a warm, friendly personality. Within a few minutes of meeting her, I had the feeling she would do well once qualified. She had a genuine, caring nature.

The student nurse was shadowing an experienced nurse. The experienced nurse appeared quite flustered and was struggling with the mechanics of the medical equipment; she had not worked with it often. When the student nurse tried to give suggestions, she was very sharply put down and into her place. It wasn’t pleasant to witness.

The flustered experienced nurse continued several times to program the machine. Giving up, she called the office for advice. Guess what advice the office gave her…

Yes, all the time the student nurse had said “Let’s try this…” had, in fact, been the advice given to the experienced nurse by the office. Humble pie it is called. Though the experienced nurse did not say anything of an apologetic nature at all to her young colleague.

I have to say the student nurse also carried with her diplomacy. She knew. I knew. And I glanced at her and she glanced at me, it was that silent look that said it all, as we stifled our laughter.

Sometimes we overlook the inexperienced, thinking we know it all. Just because we are experienced and have the skills does not mean we know everything. We should always be open to receiving advice. Experience does not always mean passion.

The final nurse brought a “How are you, what can I do for you?” and “How is everyone else?” passion.

The final nurse type was quite clearly experienced in working with the terminally ill. She came in confident, and before she touched any medications to prepare, she asked to see my dad first. She spoke directly to him, kindly asking how he was, assessing his pain levels so that she could prepare his meds accordingly. She even convinced my dad that it is not bad to have more pain relief when needed.

She was gentle, warm, and nurturing in her approach. When she was changing his meds, she chatted to him all the time. When she finished with him, she turned to us, asking how we, as a family, were managing and how hard it must be for us.

When she left, dad said “What a lovely nurse.” That summed up the passion she brought and the energy she left behind.

She made such an impression in her only visit to us. It takes years of skill to become so confident. But the passion and compassion came from within. She made a patient and his family feel cared for.

Three different nurses, doing the same job, all approached this differently. We all have individual ways of doing things. There is nothing wrong with that.

My Take Away from Sir David Attenborough and These Three Nurses

I’ve been writing more consistently on this platform for six months, just trying to find my way, like the first nurse, learning the skill of writing. But it has been more than just writing, it is about building connections with other writers on this platform. I have struggled to write at times but continued to grow. Apart from one unkind comment telling me to write elsewhere, the other writers who I now consider my virtual friends, have been gracious in their comments and encouraged me to continue.

I would like to think I’m like the student nurse, and that I have some positive qualities that I bring. But like the first nurse, there is room to bring more passion, this in part I feel is because I have not found my true writing niche as yet. I have written on many topics trying to find what resonates the most, and I’m still searching. I find myself called to writing memoir-type pieces, and personal experience stories. That’s when I find my writing flows but these aren’t always easy pieces for me to write. Whilst I am learning from more experienced writers, they can’t teach me about passion, they can show me a skill, passion is something that comes from within.

Watching those nurses has made me consider more about purpose and passion and how deeply these are intertwined. All those nurses had a calling, I hope, to their profession, but each was so different in the way they completed their work. Is it passion or experience that made the difference? The student nurse stood out despite being inexperienced, and this makes me wonder.

One day, I hope to be like the final experienced nurse who brought passion with her, and who people will remember. We may not all become like Sir David Attenborough, he is an example of how purpose and passion can lead to a truly remarkable life, he will always be remembered.

Final Thoughts

Just having a skill doesn’t make you good at what you do. It is the other qualities that you bring, which make you great at what you do. The energy you nurture makes you excellent. Having a true passion for the things you do, is what makes you inspirational.

Most of us have skills, but only some bring real passion. If you want to inspire, you need to provide both to the table.

© Bernie Pullen, All Rights Reserved

An article that inspired me is by Art Bram “Dare Each Day To Be The Amazing Person You Are”.

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