I have been following a few friends on Facebook that took the 30 day thankfulness challenge. It is basically a daily gratitude journal that they are sharing for the month of November. I really enjoy reading their posts as it reminds me of all of the wonderful things we have to be thankful for this year. Why does it always seem easier to focus on the negative instead of the positive? The only thing we can actually control in this world is our attitudes, and yet often for me, it seems to be the thing that I have the least control over. Negativity seems to be a common theme in our society right now as we quickly lash out and take our frustrations out on each other. On top of that, we work in healthcare, and healthcare is hard! It is emotional work, and often healthcare workers carry a heavy burden with them because they are inherently fixers and not everything can be fixed. Add to that a pandemic and vaccine mandates, and that burden may seem crushing.
These are the times that we must really work on finding peace and positivity. We need to fill our buckets with those things that bring us joy and bring peace to our heart so we can continue to move forward and help others.
One of the greatest benefits of working in healthcare is the difference you make every day to the patients. Although some of us may not think we have a direct impact on the patients, we do. We may not know it at the time, but the stories I hear from our patients are incredible. A few weeks ago, I received a letter in the mail from a family member of a patient that passed away at our facility on hospice.
She wrote: “I want to commend a member of your nursing staff, Tioni. My mother was at the end of her life recently, having contracted COVID despite being vaccinated. Tioni was welcoming and honest on that really difficult day. She answered my questions and was compassionate. She was who I needed and I cannot thank her enough.” I get the great honor of hearing these stories frequently from patients and community members. NEVER underestimate the difference you are making and how valuable and appreciated you truly are at Iowa Specialty Hospital.
As we head into Thanksgiving this week, I will be praying for each of you as you are one of my biggest blessings this year; an incredible team that is making a difference every day. I pray that each of you find some moments of joy and happiness to refill your buckets because you definitely deserve it.
