Stethoscopes & Crowns

 

Those of you who know me know that I am a nurse.  Being a nurse has absolutely shaped me into the person I am today.  I really, truly love being a nurse.

Something I have learned in my time as a nurse is this: Nurses are SPECIAL.

 

Another thing: the qualities I have learned in nursing would make me a GREAT Miss USA!  How so?

• Nurses have great communication skills.  We have to establish trusting, caring relationships with multiple patients and their families each day.  We know how to speak AND listen.
• Nurses have awesome interpersonal skills.  With patients, families, doctors, social workers, pharmacists, other nurses, nursing assistants, etc... we coordinate with them all!!
• Nurses are trustworthy.  We are trusted with patient's lives each day.  What more sacred thing could somebody be trusted with?
• Nurses can handle stress.  The stress of caring for a bunch of patients at the same time and having to be in a million places at once is very common.  The stress of being the calm, caring nurse while people go through traumatic and sad times.  The stress of wanting to give and help everybody but not being able to.  We know how to handle the worst kind of stress.
• Nurses are excellent at time-management.  We have huge, crazy, never-ending to-do lists and would not accomplish anything without excellent organizational skills!
• Nurses work long days and long nights.  Ive worked my fair share of 12-hour day and overnight shifts, and even a few 16 hour shifts.  On my feet the whole time, busy busy busy and with a SMILE on my face!  
• Nurses care.  We put our patients first and have great compassion.
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• Nurses are flexible enough to deal effectively with all of the unexpected twists and turns that their days take.  
• Nurses are fun!!!!  We work long hours, often over-time, and spend a great majority of our time at work.  Our jobs become a huge part of our life and who we are.  We laugh a lot and have a good time with our patients and co-workers.  They need the laughter as much as we do!
• Nurses have great physical endurance.  Working long hours on our feet and lifting heavy people takes a great deal of strength and stamina.
• Nurses have a great deal of respect for human life and their own lives.  We are grateful and appreciative of every little thing, because we have seen people go through very hard things.  

These all sound like qualities that Miss USA needs to have... great communication and interpersonal skills are a huge part of the Miss USA job.  She needs to be trustworthy enough to show respect for herself, the Miss Universe Organization, and her country.  She needs to be flexible, handle stress, manage time well, and have the physical endurance to remain positive through long days and long nights.  Caring and compassion is important for her to relate with the people she meets, and laughter is something to share with everybody.  She needs to have fun being Miss USA!  Most importantly, gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity of being Miss USA is important to keep her grounded.