I was raised by a soldier and spent my childhood surrounded by soldiers. During battle, soldiers do not leave other soldiers behind.

The nursing profession is fighting many battles and is currently wounded.

• A battle to be seen instead of stereotyped.
• A battle to be whole instead of fractured.
• A battle to be respected instead of belittled.
• A battle to be heard instead of ignored.
• A battle to embrace civility instead of incivility.
• A battle to find hope instead of negativity.
• A battle to work together instead of at odds.

As a profession we need to take a lesson from the soldier and carry our wounded with us. As a professional nurse, we have a duty not only to our patient but also to our profession.

I have seen a lot of rhetoric lately suggesting that some nurses be avoided because of their negativity or failure to find hope. Hope is fragile and must be protected, it does not survive without food. It can be a fleeting thing, especially when you are on the frontlines of the battlefield.

If a nurse has lost their hope in the profession, the profession needs to ask “why”. Adopting the position that some nurses are expendable because they have lost hope is not acceptable. Adopting a position that some nurses need to be avoided because of “negativity” is not acceptable. Negativity is a wound to the soul. If you encounter a wounded nurse, give them a shoulder to lean on and carry them off the battlefield with you.

Be that nurse that feeds their hope, instead of their negativity.

Be that soldier that leaves nobody behind.