Vulnerable

     So I am finishing my bachelors degree in nursing and am attending the University of Phoenix online. This week I was assigned a paper regarding vulnerable populations and my self-awareness. I won't lie when I say that in the past I wasn't very aware of other cultures and populations. I honestly didn't care because it didn't affect me. But over the course of the last few years my perceptions have changed for the better. I am much more tolerant than I used to be and I see the sick and ailing in a different light. (Which is important because I am a NURSE!)
     Being back in school you are challenged in each class to look at other cultures and ideas and see them differently. Vulnerable isn't always being from another country, you can just be ill and out of your environment. Every time you are sick you become vulnerable for a moment.
    Well this weekend I had a patient that was what I would consider vulnerable.This patient came in for a routine surgery to remove a mass on his esophagus. Well there was an incident during surgery and now his esophagus is markedly smaller than average and he has the potential to never be able to eat again without some sort of surgical intervention. To me this is an extremely vulnerable situation. I would have a hard time coping if this happened to me. Over the course of the 3 days that I was this man's nurse, I watched his attitude toward his uncertainty change for the better. He was angry and frustrated to start and then he moved into acceptance and was ready to take whatever came. I found this very impressive. I deal with a lot of people who just can't cope with their illness and they really never recover. So to see this man truly accept his prediciment no matter what, was great.
    There are days that I am just so proud to be a nurse. It is really hard work, but I almost always feel that what I do is appreciated.