So nearly a nurse

By Michelle Powell

We are delighted to share this poem from Michelle. Michelle wrote this with just a week left on placement in her final year of her BSc Registered Learning Disability Nursing Degree Apprenticeship.

FoNS Chief Executive, Joanne Bosanquet said: This poem to me embodies a holistic experience of life through the eyes of a student nurse. I could evidence every line in this poem and relate it back to nursing philosophy on person-centredness and the current literature which governs our profession and enables it to be fit for the future.

It also reinforces for me, the message that we must care for our undergraduates and early career nurses and midwives, if we don’t, we will lose the most important part of our health and care (see the work of the Health Economist and friend of nursing Olga Yakushava). They will just leave and go elsewhere, where they feel valued, where they feel a sense of belonging.

Thank you for writing this and thank you for asking us to publish it for you. You are welcome at FoNS any time and we wish you the very best as you commence the best job in the world.

So nearly a nurse after three long years,
I’m grateful for all the sweat, toil and tears,

I may have learnt skills and theory of health,
But never envisaged the effect on myself.

I’ve witnessed kindness and crisis, determination and hope,
Death, pain and people struggling to cope,

The people I’ve met have taught me a lot, be prepared to listen, you’ll see success isn’t what you’ve got,

From young to old, at the end of the day, we want the same things, although some cannot say,

We need closeness and love, a little light touch,
to be treated with respect, it’s really not much,

We must appreciate that all are not as fortunate as some,
Scratch the surface and you’ll find how far they’ve come,

Humans are judged whilst doing their best, shouldering trauma, abuse, they care with no rest,

Be more accepting of differences, of same, open your mind, be mindful of blame,

One thing that hit home is we need to slow down, to cherish what’s now, to take in what’s around,

Tell those you care about how much they are loved, put down that phone, be present, give hugs,

Ask what they want in all aspects of life, be there for the good, the pain and the strife,

But never neglect to talk of death too, the tiny details, ‘What’s important’? ‘ With who’?

Its peace for those left behind in this world, and its peace for the person knowing their story was told,

If I’ve learnt nothing else in all the assignments I’ve penned, it’s that human connections are all we have at the end.
❤

Farai Pfende, Senior Lecturer, Field Lead Learning Disabilities Nursing at Nottingham Trent University said: