Dear Santa ...
A holiday list for the nursing profession that's not just wishful thinking

By Carol Bradley, MSN, RN, California Editor
December 17, 2001

If the nursing profession drafted a collective letter to Santa, what would we ask for? Would we agree on what is at the top of our list? Well, here is my wish list for nursing: Is Santa listening?

First, I wish that anyone who expresses an interest in nursing as a career would have someone to give them enthusiastic support of such a worthwhile profession and would understand the demands as well as the challenges and rewards of such a choice.

I wish that nursing students would always find their education at the hands of those who are most in love with the clinical care of patients and who can nurture the strong professional culture nursing needs.

I wish that all nursing students would find welcoming colleagues and mentors in the clinical practice settings they visit while learning their chosen profession. I would also wish that they would learn to appreciate early in their paths that nursing is a knowledge profession that will require a commitment to lifelong learning.

I wish that the each new graduate would be assured a supportive and nurturing first job, where colleagues provide a gentle and gradual induction into the rigors of our profession.

I wish that all nurses could and would return to school whenever their life priorities and career goals said that the time was right, with full articulation for previous educational work and recognition for work-acquired knowledge and expertise.

I wish that all nurses would experience the warmth of respect, trust and support from their colleagues regardless of position, specialty or years of experience and return the same to all those who work within patient care.

I wish that all nurses would find the financial and personal rewards of nursing to be worthy of the passion and energy they invest in caring for patients on a daily basis.

I wish that all nurses would find ease and pride in speaking of the exciting and diverse array of opportunities that abound in nursing, and that when asked to reflect on their careers, they would eagerly choose to be a nurse again.

I wish that when nurses speak to the challenges and realities of patient care that their concerns and insights would form the foundation for building a stronger and more patient-centered health care delivery system.

I wish that the voice and unique perspective of nurses were contributors to the vision and direction of the governance of health care in our country.

I wish that when nurses live, work and play in their own communities, they would be known and thought of as nurses and regarded in high esteem because of the contributions they make to their communities' health.

Finally, I wish that Santa would have a good nurse case manager, and as a result, have a good appreciation for what nurses really do. It is through personal experience that one begins to understand the valuable contribution that nurses make to society.

Happy holidays to all.

©NurseWeek Publishing