Many men and women rose, and are still rising, above and beyond the true nature of this Calling through their selfless act and commitment beyond their nursing job description. The true test of this comes as we witness all around us the unwavering support and service of Nurses in many different roles. They have stayed strong at the forefront of this battle to be the face of Caring and Compassion. Their bravery and strength are an understatement of how they have adapted to change quickly and traveling to uncharted territory, not knowing how this will end.
I speak from a 20 years background in nursing working at medical-surgical units, labor and delivery, operating room, and currently as a post-anesthesia care nurse with a passion for shaping some of the most brilliant future nurses of our time-in the adjunct faculty and simulation nurse educator role. I was grateful to have worked in different hospitals and had one of the greatest nursing experiences of my career at Albany Medical Center in upstate New York. In my different nursing roles throughout the years, I have found ways to make the Ordinary things more special by adding a little Extra Time, Effort, Compassion, Love, and Support to each person I have met, even beyond bedside nursing. I have elevated my Calling by putting a little Extra next to the Ordinary and letting my care be felt in extraordinary ways.