She was branded as 'just a nurse' at local store—until her mic-drop response set the record straight
Quite a few essential jobs don't receive the acknowledgment and appreciation they deserve. Professional nurse Caitlin Brassington from Queensland, Australia, with 18 years of experience, shed light on the fact that her job is one of those. The mom of three was buying milk at a grocery store on her way home after a tiring shift. There, she met an acquaintance who had seen her in her scrubs for the first time. The woman commented that she hadn't realized that Brassington was "just a nurse." Although Brassington had heard the phrase several times in her career, at that time, it got to her, per ABC News. She penned a powerful open letter in a now-deleted Facebook post to respond to the woman.
"A few nights ago, I arrived home from a busy shift at work, looking very ordinary in my scrubs," Brassington shared with the publication. She had left home at six in the morning while her three girls were still asleep. Brassington hadn't had lunch and was tired after a day of looking after "very sick babies." "I was also angry, very angry and a little sad," the mom said, recounting the incident with her acquaintance. Brassington felt that the phrase probably got her because she was emotionally and physically exhausted after a work day that was very "normal" for her. She even wondered if that woman would have said the same thing if she were wearing a suit and heels instead of scrubs.
So, she wrote an open letter on Facebook, asking, "Am I just a nurse?" She added, "I have helped babies into the world, many of whom needed assistance to take their first breath and yet I am just a nurse." Brassington also held people's hands and "ensured their dignity" as they took their last breath. "I have counseled grieving parents after the loss of a child and yet I am just a nurse." Brassington had even performed CPR on several people and brought them back to life. She pointed out how she was a medical officer's "eyes, ears and hands" with the ability to "assess, treat and manage" people's illnesses. Yet she was "just a nurse." She has been a lecturer in a school of medicine and has also educated her juniors, carers and patients alike.
"I am my patients' advocate in a health system that does not always put my patients' best interest first," Brassington revealed. "I will miss Christmas Days, my children's birthdays and school musicals to come to work to care for your loved one and yet I am just a nurse." The mom has even worked 12-hour shifts without a bathroom break or a cup of coffee to care for her patients. She can manage cardiac arrests in all age groups, suture wounds, knows "anatomical, physiological and psychological differences in every age group of children" and the relevance of it in caring for and treating them.
All these things did not even begin to summarize her job. Brassington has been "screamed at, vomited on and urinated on" but will continue to do her job. "I have the experience, knowledge and competence that have saved and will continue to save people's lives and yet I am just a nurse." At the end of the letter, she proudly admitted. "So yes, a lovely acquaintance in the corner store, if I am 'just a nurse,' then I am ridiculously proud to be one!" On a podcast with Chris Williamson (@ChrisWillx), Dr Peter Attia pointed out that nurses are underrated when it comes to their insight on the health of patients. The doctor pointed out that he would hardly spend 10 minutes per day with a patient in the week post their operation as a surgical resident. "The nurse is with that patient for hours a day. A really good nurse understands things and sees things and recognizes patterns very well," he highlighted the importance of nurses.