Good luck and good byes

It's my last night here in Iowa. It's been by far one of the toughest units I've ever worked on in terms of acuity and the patients I cared for, but also one of the most rewarding. The patients we've had, some have been there for quite a long time, and you get to know them. You get to know about their family, their lives before they were patients and see them at their worst, then at their best. Some of the patients have been there almost as long as I've been there. I'm going to miss some of them; some I know will get well, others I'm not sure. I suppose that's one of the components of the job. But these last few days I will no doubt carry with me for a while. When you have the opportunity to pray with a patient, while being led by a chaplain, and the patient doesn't speak my language and I didn't speak their's. It was a simple reminder that the love I have for God and the same love they reciprocated has no boundaries. The love of God leaps across all boundaries; race, gender, language. When you have a patient who you had only a handful of times ask for a hug on the way out when they say themselves "I'm not really a hugger," while another one begins crying because of my departure, it really means something. A lot.

I'm a much better psych nurse after having worked here. I'm a better person too, I think. It's funny, I really didn't care for this place at first. But over time, it really began to grow on me. Maybe I really will come back, if they'll have me. Soup's up, it's already dark out and over the last few days it's been the coldest I've ever experienced. The laundry is almost finished, the place is almost packed up, and by this tomorrow I'll be settled in Indiana and then back home on Saturday. Off to Boston next week where they'll be a foot of snow awaiting me!