“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.”

- Anna Taylor

This a little piece I wrote for nurses week in 2016. The words are still relevant to the changes nurses are trying to accomplish today. I hope this speaks to you guys!

As we bring Nurse's Week to a close I would like to end on a very serious note. I will forever be grateful for the privilege I have of being a registered nurse.

In the last year we've seen the power that nurses have. The power to stir people into action. Let us not forget this power that we hold. As the profession of nursing continues to grow and change let us also not forget our roots. Let us not forget the simple things that make nurses extraordinary. Let us resurrect the power of the word no. No to unsafe staffing ratios. No, to physical and emotional abuse at our places of employment. No to always having to do more with less. No, to systems that consistently fail our patients and our colleagues. No, to attempts to create division, on a professional and social level, at a time when we need unity most.

Let's say yes to making a difference that's actually meaningful. To changing And impacting the world in the special way that we do. Say yes to collaboration, innovation, and liberation. Let us say yes to remembering that we don't owe any corporation or institution our health and our life. Thank you to all of my fellow nursIng colleagues, from CNA to researchers, for the wonderful work that you do! Happy nurse’s week everyone!

Happy Nursing!

Patrick McMurray, BSN, RN

PatMacRN