Answering the Call…
I’ve learned that when God wants to get your attention about something, He just keeps showing up.
As the youngest of five girls in our Irish Catholic home, I KNEW that I would never want to become a nurse. There were already two nurses in the family and I was desperately trying to carve out my individuality. That said, I read every one of the twenty seven “Cherry Ames Nurse” novels before I was ten years old. So it would appear at that young age that I was fighting a losing battle. Years, decades, rolled by yet our humorous, persevering God WOULD NOT let up on me and solidly affirmed the old adage “Make plans, God laughs.”
So after enjoying a successful career in advertising and while raising two young children, I finally said YES to His call. What followed was humbling in every way possible. For example, I literally had shoes older than my peers. This was back when very few women my age returned to University, so there was no network of similar aged mothers to share struggles with. The BSN program I entered was NOT easy and not convenient. But true to His word, doors opened when they absolutely needed to so I could continue my education while working and raising a family. After all, this was God’s plan; not mine.
My journey through ER, corporate, surgical, and hospice nursing eventually led me to the specialty practice of Faith Community Nursing, which became the culmination of my professional and vocational journey. This opportunity allowed me to incorporate my skills and clinical experience with service in the church and in a very unique way, to bring God’s love to His people. Over 13 years ago, a giant of a man named Fr. Tom Murphy, OSFS, “made me an offer I couldn’t refuse”; to serve as Parish Nurse at St. John Neumann Church in Reston, VA. There for the first time, I met St. Francis de Sales and was struck by how he drew me to Salesian Spirituality like the moon draws in the tide.
Nurses are often called into intimate chaos; dealing with human tragedy and suffering; trauma, illness, addiction, and death. St. Francis de Sales reminds us where we belong in this narrative; “Let the waves roar, let everything be in darkness, smoke, and uproar; God is here.” As nurses, we are called to respond to these challenging situations with gentleness and patience, to become witnesses to these moments as well as “The Lady (and man) With the Lamp”* to assist patients and families to navigate through the murk. The acts of presence, listening, reassurance, advocacy, clinical skills, compassion, information, support, and understanding, provide an “every shift” opportunity for our profession to “Live Jesus. The Salesian values of respect for the individual and embracing diversity are at the core of how nurses deliver care to ALL individuals, regardless of personal bias or beliefs.
The little virtue of optimism is crucial when working with individuals and families at their most vulnerable times. It is the nurse at the bedside in the middle of the night who helps calm fears and helps patients to focus on hope and positivity. And right behind that is joy, elevating even small health successes and positive news to a celebratory level!
The profession of nursing and the vocation of nursing are intimately entwined. This week, I hope that every nurse contemplates how sacred the privilege of entering into people’s lives truly is, and that this work should always be respected as “holy ground.”
This “National Nurses Week” I celebrate all of my colleagues who have listened to their personal call to “Be who you are and be that well.” We all have our stories. And I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in our Salesian community. I thank God for not letting up on me, and thank Fr. Tom for being my teacher, my guide, my support, and most importantly, my friend. That’s the Salesian way.
* Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing, was known as “The Lady with the Lamp” due to her routine of making rounds at night during the Crimean War.
Susan Infeld, RN, BSN, FCN
Parish Nurse
St. John Neumann Church, Reston, VA