An Open Discussion About Beliefs and Nursing, Part One

Today I attended the first meeting for a club called Nursing Students for Reproductive Health and Justice. It is a long title, but it is meant to be all-encompassing. We had a discussion about where we want the club to go and what we want to do. The six of us shared our reason for joining and wanting to participate in the club - mine being to learn and provide the best care for my future patients. Unlike some club members, I had no personal experiences relating to the club but tried to express my (possibly naïve) wish to help the community by connecting people with resources that could help them.

At one point we talked about abortion. Now, as many people are aware, abortion is condoned by the Catholic Church. One person reflected on the experience of having a professor proclaim a personal stance on abortion. It made the person not want to discuss abortion with the professor because their personal stances on abortion differed. I found it terribly unfortunate - not necessarily the fact that the professor stated a personal stance on abortion (I suppose everyone has a right to do that in certain environments), but the fact that dialogue was seemingly stunted because of the assumption that the professor would not be able to converse openly about a popular and controversial topic.

Cannot one discuss a topic with another without devolving into an argument or debate? Unfortunately nowadays it seems as if it is an impossible endeavor. Maybe that is why many refuse to talk about politics or politely defer in contentious discourse. Referring to my previous blog post about a particularly heartfelt conversation with my friend, maybe war is taboo because communication is stunted in so many levels of society by the impression (or dare I say assumption?) that personal beliefs are limiting to a holistic view, particularly religious beliefs.

I once argued in a high school paper about the death penalty (interestingly enough, part of a religion class curriculum) that my personal beliefs are validated by my own thoughts and feelings, not by an organization. I based my written argument on data, logic, and reason and my points were justifiable. I vaguely remember writing that if I had simply founded my thoughts and feelings only by the teachings of the Catholic Church and not by my own analysis and contemplation, I would consider myself a cult member.

The point of this post/rant is to encourage everyone to become comfortable with open dialogue. Communication is truly fundamental in every kind of relationship, whether it be societal, political, religious, or otherwise.

Sunday Morning: Rain Is Falling

Most would think Sunday mornings are the perfect time to sleep in, especially on a stormy day like today. Not for me! Every Sunday I decide which mass I would like to attend. As I mentioned briefly before, I am Roman Catholic and I make it a point to attend weekly mass at the local parish. I have been fortunate enough to have been welcomed into St. Mary's Cathedral Parish and have been walking there every week since moving to Portland. It's usually a nice walk - early mornings in Portland are like none other. I usually run into a few homeless people, but I continually forget to pack something to offer them.

Today I was running late because I overslept. I packed a scone in my purse, expecting to eat it after mass when I stopped for coffee at Starbucks. Yet on my way to church I saw a homeless man and had the overwhelming instinct to stop and talk to him. I offered him the scone and impulsively asked if he would like to join me in going to mass. He said yes.

Can we take a moment to appreciate that a homeless person, a stranger, accepted my offer to attend mass with me?

I have no idea why I asked or why he said yes, I just felt like crying out of joy. I knew - I knew! - the Holy Spirit had something to do with it. Why would I do that? I mean, I know I have a habit of talking to strangers (thanks Ma), but still... If I had not slept in I would have gone to an earlier mass and missed the man nor packed breakfast to go. If it had not been raining I would have walked faster to church (because I wouldn't have to worry about stepping in puddles and getting excessively wet). I am still slightly flabbergasted at what happened.

The man decided not to sit with me at mass. I figured I would not want to intrude on his time with the Lord. I did not see him after mass, but I hope the man was able to enjoy his time with God.

Anyway, the homily today partially had to do with the Pope's interview. If you have not read it, I highly suggest you do. Later on I think I will do a segmented review of the interview as I have not entirely finished reading it. It seems as though there are some misunderstandings about it and I would like to discuss them and the rest of the interview as it has been on my mind lately.

Friendship is in Actions

Clarification: I have no idea what friendship is. I have ideas, opinions, and slight perceptions of it, yes, but the actual concept is so confusingly ambiguous that I have no definite idea what friendship. I do believe, however, that friendship, like faith, is in actions. 

A friend came to visit yesterday despite the stormy weather and languorous journey. That in itself is worthy of appreciation. The fact that my friend came up the day I completed my first nursing school exam, when I was exhausted and wanted to relax was a godsend. There are some friends that I do not feel as if I have to entertain them and this friend was one of them - yet another reason I appreciate her visit (no drama or maintenance). Also, my friend is so very in tune with my personality that mind-reading is a common occurrence. 

Meeting my friend in the lobby of my residence hall elicited an involuntary response - squealing, jumping, and giggling. We were a sight to see! Reuniting with my friend was fantastic, but it was not until much later that I really felt our reconnection. My friend and I went out for fries just after 10pm and spent the next 3 hours talking about everything that came to mind. We discussed war, love, anxiety, friends, philosophy, politics, and more - simply because the topics came up naturally. My friend and I spoke freely, not feeling the need to disclaim nor withhold anything. 

Our conversation made me frustrated that I cannot speak this way with many people in my life simply because they do not initially feel comfortable or if they do, they almost immediately become defensive. It bothers me that I am more trusting in the people that consistently show that I am their friend. Not necessarily through excessive compliments or Facebook posts, but through subtle gestures such as listening to what I have to say and responding accordingly, asking questions when needed, and not judging me based on my (sometimes inadequate) verbal skills.

I am not interested in flashy friendships. I am interested in friendships that exemplify the different aspects of love, as written in the passage:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  

 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Although it seems as though I have high standards for friends, I try thinking of it as something I should strive to be for my friends as well. 

Enter HiFi Sim: Interaction With A Person

My first high fidelity simulation was today... and I aced it. I still cannot believe that happened! It was an intimidating, invigorating, and individual experience, to say the least. Basically, we had to assess our patient's vital signs during a 15 minute timespan. We were given a patient chart and had to come prepared with only a stethoscope and a pencil. After we had completed the tasks, we were ushered into a separate room to debrief our performance and the purpose of the exercise. We are then graded pass or fail based on the ratio of nursing actions met and not met.

I am fortunate in that I have an easy-going nature with strangers, as I have discussed in other blog posts. I reminded myself before beginning the exercise that I was there to interact with a person, not to take a test and there was no reason to be excessively nervous. During the exercise I spoke directly to the patient, maintaining eye contact and everything, and tried to keep a steady stream of conversation going. I did this partially for my own nerves and partially to help me think about my actions. I was told later that it had seemed as if I had done the "routine a hundred times." I share that information, not to "toot my own horn" but to impress upon you the exhilaration I felt after doing something well that I have only recently learned.

I am sure I have said this before, but I will say it again - I feel even more confident in my abilities as a nursing student and as a person. It really is the little things that make me feel more and more like a nurse - and I never want to let go of the thrill I experience whenever I learn something new, accomplish a task, and/or make connections!

Anyway, you all must be tiring of my nursing student tales/rants! After my test tomorrow I am sure I will have more exciting things to write about.

Ahh, the life of a nursing student...