Every Nurse Needs A Soapbox

First of all, let me preface this by saying that I am of the belief that there is nothing wrong if a nurse is not necessarily passionate about bedside care. One of the concepts stressed in nursing school, especially in a bachelor's degree program, is that while bedside care is definitely the cornerstone of your nursing foundation, the nursing profession is so much bigger than that. That being said, I think that every nurse (and every nursing student, for that matter) should be passionate about something. Everyone in the healthcare field should at least in their own minds and their own practice be a champion for something, some cause that will further their field of practice. Your passion should not cloud your judgment, or cause you to judge your patients - but it should move you to be conscientious in your job, in the care you provide. It should move you to never stop thinking critically and asking questions about the system under which you operate, because the best way to improve the healthcare machine is from the inside. For me personally, what I believe is important is accessibility. In a previous life before nursing school - I'm sure it had to have been a previous life, at least - I spent a lot of time advocating for equal access and opportunity for education, and I still strongly believe in it. I believe that education is an important tool that people are entitled to their chance at in order to better their lives and the lives of their progeny. Now, having expanded my horizons and gained even just a modest amount of nursing experience in my time as a student, I realize that the right to access and opportunity for education is not only for a formal education at an institution of higher learning such as a college or university, but to information in general. Providing care in the community, especially in drug and alcohol rehab centers, as well as community health centers for underserved populations, I think I've found my soapbox. As more than one of my professors have said in class, and other professionals have mentioned to my colleagues and I, the United States does not have a healthcare system, but rather an illness care system. It is not aimed to help people maintain good health without difficulty. Instead, it focuses on trying (not always succeeding) in addressing illness after it has already hit. The fact that this is the case honestly pains me. It strikes me as though people must earn healthcare by being ill enough, rather than being accorded the dignity of someone who deserves to be kept well.