A nurse’s duty: Service and compassion above all else

Editor’s Note: In celebration of the Philippines’ 117th Independence Day, INQUIRER.net is publishing a series of short essays submitted by our readers who answered the question: “What’s the best that you have done for our country?”

John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

It has been my goal to leave my legacy on this earth, a legacy that will immortalize me even after death. But in order to attain that legacy, I must first do something good that will benefit the people who need it most.

Being a licensed nurse, it is my duty to provide the outmost care I can offer to my patients. Service and compassion are above all else. In my practice, I have encountered people from different walks of life. Some have so much to give while others have none at all. There are times when I feel that what I am doing for them is not enough. I still want to do more for them. As a nurse, we serve as an advocate for our patients, a caregiver, a communicator, an educator, a counselor, a change agent and a clinician. Even though, in my mind, I am not executing the best I could offer them, hearing patients say, “Thank you,” or seeing them satisfied with the care I have given makes me happy. It makes me feel that I have done something good.

The thing is, whether or not you have performed the tiniest or the best thing for our country, it will always boil down to your willingness to do it. Nowadays, people will do whatever it takes to be recognized. They do things they don’t even believe in. In my opinion, doing your best every day to help out those in need, regardless of the outcome of that deed, is the best thing you can do for our country.

OTHER ESSAYS:

There is hope for Manila in Escolta

Be proud of being a Filipino (even if it’s not easy)

What is your contribution to the country? Filipinos weigh in