So much more than ‘just a nurse’

May 8, 2023

An Auckland clinical nurse educator explains, in poetry, why you should not say ‘I’m just a nurse’.

So many nurses say this at one time or another, so after my shift one night recently, I wrote this poem about why it annoys me:

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Not ‘just a nurse’

When you say
“I’m just a nurse”
I say NO,
You ARE a nurse.

You assess
Think
Respond
Reflect.
Super fast
Lightning speed

No-one can see
What happens in your brain
But you are thinking
Intervening
Critiquing
Responding.

When you say
“I’m just a nurse”
They agree.
Where is the doctor?
I want to be seen
You are right there
But they look straight past.

When you say
“I’m just a nurse”
They see a doctor’s aide.
You give medications
You follow orders
You do what you’re told;
That is what they see.

When your patient deteriorates
You are the first one there
You act fast
You respond
You catch it before they arrest.

Sometimes they notice
Sometimes they thank you.
Often they say “the doctors saved me”
Because you’re just a nurse.

When your patient is crying,
You’re by their side.
When your patient is dying,
You’re by their side.
When your patient is crashing,
You’re by their side.

You’re just a nurse
But you’re there.
You listen
You empathise
You escalate care
You save lives.

So hold your head high
Be the superhero you are
Because
You
Are
NOT
JUST A NURSE.

Anna Hickey, RN,
Auckland