Thank You

How easy it is to fall into the routines of a job and forget why you chose that job in the first place. How hard it must be to realize that when you started all you wanted was to help people and that now you just hope to make it through the end of the day so you can go home and get away from those people you wanted to help.

I understand how hard it is to have to fight the need to stop and talk to someone that just wants to hold your hand because you have so much to get done by the end of your shift. To feel proud of your choice to work in a profession of caring only to realize that actual caring is not in your job description.

There are so many good, noble mental health care professionals out there, and so many more that used to be. I wish I had a way to take them aside and remind them of why their jobs are important. I wish I had a way to show them that they matter and it doesn't have to seem like such a thankless job.

When I was a CNA we had to frequently take little refresher courses to maintain our certification. Mostly these courses were about infection control, and range of movement excercise. I never once attended a meeting in which we were reminded of the really important lessons. The lessons about allowing those under our care to maintain their dignity. The little things, like not calling a resident by their first name unless we were invited to, to never call them "honey" or "sweetie". To warn them before turning on a light, and pull a curtain during rounds. I found it incredible how easy it was to allow myself to start to forget those simple lessons when the demands of the job became overwhelming.

I think that it doesn't hurt to every once in a while remind people in health care about the most important aspect of their jobs...the patients. Overworked, underpaid, and often unthanked. If you begin with dehumanizing your staff, is it any wonder that some of that slides down to those under their care?

So, to all of those nurses, and aides, psychiatrists, mental health workers, and volunteers (and anyone that I am forgetting) that have somehow managed to treat me as someone worthy of respect, despite sometimes compelling evidence to the contrary, I want to thank you.

To those that have failed, I understand....and one day I hope to be able to forgive.