Altruism: Being A Good Nurse

Altruism, to me, is caring about the wellbeing of others. I think it is key to being a good nurse. We take care of other and want to help them to the best of our ability. As a nurse, we have to be non-judgmental and compassionate in any given situation. Altruism is applied because we care about our patients and want good outcomes. Altruism is being selfless the majority of the time (because sometimes you do have to put yourself first). If everyone was altruistic, the world would likely be a much happier place with less crime and violence. I know it makes me feel good to help other. I remember when I worked as a CNA, I would frequently give patients baths, and they would tell me how appreciative they were and how it made them feel like a new person. Sometimes, the little things can make a big difference to someone.

I feel like in today’s society, altruistic activities can be done from the comfort of your own home. If someone is hurt, or something bad happens, people set up GoFundMe.com pages and just donate money. That is so important when you have hospital bills and are out of work. But there are also people, like nurses and volunteers, who are more hands on. Either way, people are being selfless and caring for others, which is great!

Before nursing, I thought I wanted to be a vet, and did a lot of volunteering there when I was in high school. I think pets are just as much apart of a family as people are. Altruism can be applied in the animal world as well. The vets and vet techs do as much as they can to help a pet in need. If it is a good outcome, the owners are typically happy. The veterinarians understand that pet’s needs are important. They work weekends, and are on call, because just like people, emergencies happen. I have three dogs and a cat, and they are family. I appreciate the people that help care for them, and it made me feel good that I was able to help out,