The first time you enter a plant, with your uniform ironed and your agenda full of illusion, you also carry a little invisible companion: fear.
Fear of failing.
Fear of asking too much.
Fear of disturbing.
Fear of not being good enough.
And in the middle of that whirlwind, with your nerves tightening in your stomach, that moment comes: you need help.
You raise your hand. In a soft, almost fearful voice, you ask for support, and on the other side... silence.
It doesn't hurt just because they won't help you, it hurts because you feel like you're in the way, that you don't fit in, that your place is not yet made, and it's right there where we forget something essential: we've all been there.
Nursing is not only about healing physical wounds. It is about accompanying, supporting, looking at the other person and saying “I see you, I understand you, I am with you”.
And this starts with us.
A reminder for all:
Empathy is not learned at university.
It is cultivated at every turn, in every gesture, in every daily choice.
And it is as much a part of our profession as anything else.
Because being a nurse is also knowing how to reach out, even when your knees are shaking too.
Because we have all been “the new one”.
Because we have all felt that mix of nerves, excitement and desire to do well.
Because we have all, at some point, needed help.
Creating a united team doesn't require grand gestures. Sometimes it's enough to stop for a second, look at that hesitant work buddy and say, "What do you need?
