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A blog by PHA UK Chair Dr Iain Armstrong

I remember my first day as a nurse well. I was in a dental white starch jacket, on Ward Central 4 at a hospital in Sheffield which is now a rather exclusive and expensive housing development.

On this day, I met George. George had lung cancer and had been admitted in an unkempt state and with lots of ‘chest pains’.

I saw him sitting in his chair, and he looked sad… very sad. He was scruffy and had, let’s just say, a ‘fragrance’ about him.

And at that moment something went through my head… ‘I am going to help you out mate’. I have since discovered this thought was stimulated by compassion.

I helped George shave, wash, and brush his teeth. We had a cuppa, and we talked.

He told me about his wife Rose, the love of a lifetime, who died in the same hospital two years ago. He described his heart pain… not his chest pain. I sat with him and un-self-consciously held his hand while he spoke.  

George said I saved his life and of course I did no such thing. I just helped him regain his dignity, sat with him for a while, and held his hand.

It struck me that it was impossible to tell were George’s hand ended, and where my hand began. Nursing exists in that space; we all exist in that space.

I often remember George as the person who taught me what it means to be a nurse.

Nurses are reminders that we are not alone, but of course we do a lot more than hold hands.

Nurses are rigorously trained and highly educated professionals. They spin around our world caring for people in every setting, from school pupils to pensioners, from prisoners to the police… and everyone in-between.  

It is often the case that the first person you meet in life is a nurse (a midwife), and the last person you meet in life is also a nurse.

As nurses we consume hurting every single day. Indeed, the word compassion comes from the Latin word ‘compassio’, which literally means ‘to suffer together’.

Yet at the same time we consume hurting, we seek excellence. Any healthcare setting seeks excellence through those they serve, and as nurses we are only as good as our patients think we are.

I believe compassion is the root of excellence in healthcare and as nurses, compassion truly is our greatest strength.