Every Thanksgiving, I spend time reflecting on my life and oftentimes give thanks for my God, my family, my husband, Frank, and my 3 children-Kaitlyn, Austin, and Adam-and my health.

This Thanksgiving, however, after practicing nursing for 28 years, I am giving thanks for professional things. I am thankful for the patients for whom I have had the privilege to care for over the years. They have ALL allowed me to enter into an aspect of their life and have shared very personal information with me. All have taught me so many valuable life lessons, such as staying positive, never giving up, and how to smile when you really would rather not.

I am thankful for my wonderful colleagues, both at the bedside and in the classroom, who have worked beside me, encouraged me, fostered my growth, and believed in me when I really didn't believe in myself. All have challenged me to be professionally attentive and be the best nurse, writer, speaker, individual I can be.

I am thankful for my students who continue to inspire and challenge me every day in the classroom and in the clinical setting. Their motivation and eagerness to learn are refreshing and inspiring. Their critical thinking and questioning remind me each day how I, myself, must never stop developing as a practitioner and educator.

I am thankful for the interdisciplinary team members who day by day worked beside me to ensure quality, holistic, empathetic patient care. They always come running when I scream, "I need help in here." I am reminded by my team of the golden rule to "treat everyone like I would like to be treated or to treat others like I would want my family members treated." Team work is the foundation of nursing, and I am thankful to work with the best of the best.

I am also thankful for the physicians who have challenged me, questioned my every intervention, and demanded rationales for my autonomous decision making. I am even thankful for those physicians who have scared the you-know-what out of me, when I had to call them in the middle of the night to report changes in my patient's condition or ask them questions related to my patient. All have fostered my communication and taught me to assess, critically think, be responsible, and intervene with authority in a timely fashion.

This Thanksgiving, I challenge all of you as professional nurses to reflect and give thanks for the many blessings in your life and professional practice. I am certain the patients for whom you have cared for this year are all giving thanks for your expertise and quality patient care that you provided to them.

Lisa Ruth-Sahd, DEd, RN, CEN, CCRN

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

[email protected]

Dr Ruth-Sahd is a consultant with Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing.