Jocelyn the Traveling Nurse

Thirteen days may not seem like much but it depends on the occasion. Whether it be eight shifts in the ER or an Iberian vacation. Wandered through the earth tone barrio with a lick of local language. Squandered no opportunities for paella Valenciana tasting. Slowed the cadence, revered consecrated spaces for enduring through the ages. Cordoba, Alhambra, Fatima, columns, courtyards, carillon, all changeless like the Lagos rock formations. Explored plaza mayors and aqueducts ancient, ahead of their time and not antiquated. But even nueva porticoes undergo restoration, like facade lights at night being conscious of the past makes the present more amazing.

Make it a point to prioritize self preservation, before attending to others urgencies check your own mental indications. Care less about the anesthetic accolades, don’t let it put your acumen under. Care more about who you can save, empathy overwhelms, don’t let it split you asunder. Statistics represent more than just another number, with patients hanging in the balance it takes palpable patience to avoid a blunder. Unforeseen conditions, malignant or benign, everybody fights their own battle. and some live on borrowed time. When breath becomes air, it’s critical to care and pressing to provide a quality of life beyond received in kind.

Jocelyn is a emergency room nurse that I met on my 2 week trip through Spain and Portugal. Through our travels I came to realize the importance of fully enjoying the now while reserving the worries of the future for when the time comes. Afterwards I learned about the underappreciated efforts of her occupation, and composure needed to prolong the lives of people stricken by severe illnesses. She is extremely compassionate with the way she handles her patients, understanding they may not always reciprocate with thankfulness for her efforts. The following month one of my friends suffered from heart failure, but luckily since then has made a full recovery. Just visiting him in the emergency room made me cognizant of the constant pressure associated to saving lives. 

Kindness without concern means to be kind without expectation of reward. The motto is not only applicable to healthcare professionals but also to everyday life. The first verse reflects on the vacation, and stresses the importance of living one’s fullest life. Paella is a dish originating from Valencia that consists of rice, vegetables, poultry, seafood, or a combination of the ingredients. Cordoba, Alhambra, and Fatima are all mosques, fortresses, and sanctuaries which are timeless as the Ponta da Piedade rock formation in Lagos, Portugal. Plaza mayors and aqueducts refer to attractions in Salamanca and Segovia which are still operational today. The Nueva Catedral in Salamanca underwent restoration in 1992 which includes an astronaut engraved into the cathedral’s portico. The second verse portrays the message of focusing on oneself before acting selflessly. “When Breath Becomes Air” is a book by the late author and doctor Paul Kalinithi which records the neurosurgeon achievements, thoughts, and cherished memories with his loved ones as he fought against lung cancer.