Nacole T. Riccaboni - The Little Blue Book of Nurses Wisdom

Copyright 2022 by Nacole Riccaboni

Foreword 2022 by Patrick McMurray

Photographs purchased from Getty Images

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by David Ter-Avanesyan

Edited by Nicole Frail

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-6741-6

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6742-3

Printed in China

To my amazing husband and best friend, William. Thank you for always supporting me. I freaking love you. To my three incredible, adventurous sons, Rocco, Lucca, and Nicco. Never stop being curious, continue to love big, and remain true to yourselves.

Foreword

by Patrick McMurray, BSN, RN

I was first introduced to Nacole Riccaboni via Instagram (@nursenacole), where she shares her voice as one of the handful of nurses with a significant presence on social media. Nacoles willingness to be open about her nursing journey has been invaluable and has helped me navigate my own nursing path as my authentic self.

Arguably, one of the most nuclear facts about the profession of nursing is that it is in a perpetual state of metamorphosis in one way or another. Nursing is simultaneously a complex science and an art. A nursing career brings incredible demands and great rewards, leading to a curiously complex configuration of emotions and challenges. Our work, as nurses, often asks us to show up in intimate ways for communities, even those for which we are not members.

This book acts as a haven for those immersed in the world of nursing. It provides an opportunity for nurses to wrap themselves in words of validation and comfort, and inspiration. Nacole has curated a collection of quotes that encapsulate the incredibly vast array of moments and situations that nurses find themselves confronting daily. This book is a must-have for all nurses. In these pages, you will find words for those soaring moments of humanity and the moments that challenge us to grow and change.

Introduction

N ursing is a unique profession that will fill your heart and, at the same time, empty your tank. You will work countless hours forming community bonds and lasting relationships. You will impact the ones around you with your attention to detail, caregiving, and unwavering advocacy. Your tasks will not be singular, one-dimensional objectives but rather diverse, multifaceted checkboxes that you will work on and implement to improve your patients health outcomes.

Nursing is a profession that cannot be quantified in one sentence, and nurses arent individuals who have linear mindsets. Whether you are a nurse, know a nurse, or are on your way to being a nurse, this book will remind you of just how great nursing is and just how much love the nursing profession offers people around the world.

Read and reflect on each quote. Allow these words to touch your heart and trigger memories of your present and future self. Nursing isnt merely a profession; it is a mindset. Let your mood be empowered and encouraged by these wonderful messages.

I.

Learning

L earning is an important part of nursing, and it doesnt end once you graduate from nursing school. Each shifteach patientis an encounter that you will learn from. Whether youre completing a task on medications or emotional intelligence, you will leave these experiences with a special something.

Everyone raves about how learning is such a positive journey, but it can also be slightly disheartening, in my experience. Regularly coming up short, continually not seeing the full picture, can cause you to second-guess yourself. Those who see these shortcomingsknow you are not alone and that we all start there. I started there and you must give yourself time to acclimate to your environment and develop your professional skills.

Many nurses learn on the job, and this may seem daunting, but take it one day at a time. Enter each of your patients rooms with a full heart and open mind. No one is expecting perfection. You are a human who is learning to care for people from all walks of life. Each experience will teach you something you didnt know and will expand your mindset regarding a certain disease process or human condition. Your education is a road map that provides great guidance and pathways, but humans dont always function that way. We are unique, with our own presentations and concerns. That cant be taught; it can only be learned through involvement.

Give yourself time to learn from your experiences and let them complement your educational background. You will never stop learning and growing; dont consider this milestone of graduation an end point. It is merely the beginning.

Any fool can know. The point is to understand.
ALBERT EINSTEIN

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

You dont learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.
RICHARD BRANSON

That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.

GEORGE EVANS

The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety.