4. Humanitarianism. I would encourage us to be actively engaged in promoting human welfare and social reforms with no prejudice on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, or religious or ethnic differences. Our goal should be to save lives, relieve suffering, and maintain human dignity.
How do we do this? Many of us have at some point in our careers volunteered our professional services at free clinics or other venues that provide health care to those who otherwise have difficulty accessing it. Some of us take that spirit a step further, traveling abroad on medical missions or responding to natural disasters or civil disturbances.
While using our medical and nursing skills for the good of society is ideal, we can also represent ourselves and our professions well by being good members of the community—not just the “medical” community. Perhaps we provide food and shelter to the homeless in our area or mentor young people.
Anything we do to help not only benefits us and the recipient; it also shows the community that our concept of “care” extends beyond the confines of the clinic or emergency department or operating theater in which we work. We have a very special calling, and I’m always pleased when our professional journals highlight the efforts of our colleagues to “help out”; their stories should inspire us all.
5. Appreciation. As NPs and PAs, we provide health care (whether from a medical or nursing standpoint), a revered calling since the days of Hippocrates. This privilege allows us to enter into a bond with our patients and assist them in a personal and fundamental way. It is no small thing to be involved in curing illness and promoting well-being. We should always remember that our role carries responsibility as well as provides rewards.
Despite the greater availability of diagnostic technologies and advancements in therapeutic abilities, we continue to see increasing disparities in the delivery of health care. Our professions must work diligently to find ways to address the issues of quality, accessibility, and cost of health care in the US. What kind of “stewards” will we be? That is our heritage!
Continue for the last area PAs and NPs need to grow in >>