Many of us were socialized on fairy tales that featured dreams, wishes and a Prince Charming who would rescue fair maidens and live happily ever after. While passive activities such as waiting and wishing are great for fictional characters, life has something more substantial in mind for mortals like you and me. We are experiencing the dawn of a new year, a time marked by the age-old ritual of making a New Year s resolution. This practice rests on the assumption that we have the capacity for choices and actions more powerful than the passive roles assigned to the heroines of our youth. For others, a resolution is a pledge, a commitment to something that matters that comes from a place of deep and sustained resolve.
Nurses are wondrous and vulnerable creatures.
The commitment to caring is our birthright and the trademark of our contribution to society. We have become experts at putting others first in our lives, at home and at work. While this is a noble undertaking, it also is an expensive one. So much is given to others that, often, only a small amount remains to sustain and revitalize ourselves. I believe that this is the core of the burnout and dropout cycle.