Nurses don’t get nearly enough credit as they deserve. While they work a 8-10-12-15 hour shift in a busy hospital, having to always be on their toes for their patients and the doctors they report to as well, they encounter a lot things both pleasant but usually not so much. They provide much of the “dirty work” and don’t get nearly as much credit or respect as they deserve.
Before they even reach the paid regions of nursing, they are working their tails off. A close friend of mine just completed nursing school and earned her LPN locally. Hearing what she went though to earn that degree really opened my eyes to what these amazing people really go through. A typical week for my friend, Erin, would include: 2-3 days in the classroom for 8+ hours a day going over the technical details of what it is to be a nurse. Then, on the days in-between she would spend her entire day working at a hospital getting live experience. Sometimes that included some of the hard parts of the job, like delivering hard news to families or even helping a fatal situation. She’d then go to work at nights, after already having put in a full day of work at the hospital or in the classroom that day. This is true for many aspiring nurses in the field, and shows their true devotion to making a difference in the lives of others around them. It takes a special kind of person to be able to put their personal issues aside, and treat each and every patient with care and compassion. The men and woman who are able to do this job at a high level deserve so much more than they get from the families and the people they help.
The story below details a story where a woman gets the rare opportunity to take care of a nurse, much like the nurse takes care of people each day. This nurse had just completed a long shift at work, and hadn’t had the chance to sleep yet before she ended up in Ashley Bolling’s salon chair. She took a minute to think about all this woman does for people on a daily basis, and how amazing it is to be able to return the favor even if it is for just a few short hours. You can read the entire story below, it’s well worth it.
H/T Little Things
Nurse Falls Asleep In Salon Chair, Then Stylist Notices Her Shoes And Snaps A Secret Photo
Medical professionals like doctors, nurses, and paramedics devote much of their time and energy to making sure we are safe and healthy. They don’t get a lot of time to themselves, and many would argue that they don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Ashley Bolling is a stylist and mother of three who is letting it be known that these people, particularly nurses, deserve more than just a thank you. She posted a sweet message for nurses everywhere after one came into her salon, Captivate Salon & Spa, and dozed off in her chair. The woman hadn’t slept all night and was clearly exhausted. Ashley gently rested her head against her stomach, but it was her shoes that grabbed her attention. They weren’t worn down or dirty — she was simply amazed by how much weight they carried, both literally and figuratively.
You can read Ashley Bolling’s sweet and moving tribute to nurses below
I had one of those “stop-you-in-your-tracks,” extremely humbling moments, while working quietly on the hair of a very exhausted, sleeping nurse.
Ashley Bolling and colleagues
She’d been at work all night and hadn’t been to bed when she landed in my chair, but not before stopping to buy my breakfast on her way.
Ashley Bolling
As she dozed off, I gently rested her head on my stomach and continued to foil her hair…. then I noticed her shoes.
I wondered how many miles those shoes have walked. I wondered what they’d walked through. Blood? Tears? In & out of the countless rooms of the patients she’s cared for? I wondered how many hours they’ve carried her, and all those like her, while they literally save the lives of those we love and hold the hands of the ones who can no longer fight that fight.
But with those shoes propped up in that chair, phone in her lap, I got the chance to take care of her (even if it was just for a few hours) and I felt extremely honored to take care of such a hard working, inspiring woman I’m so lucky to call my friend.
Ashley Bolling snaps picture of sleeping nurse
I’ve always respected and valued these amazing superheroes and am proud to be the sister, daughter, niece, friend and hairstylist of so many. Know you are appreciated, know you are irreplaceable, know you are loved!
