'Tis the season of giving. In many cultures and religious traditions, December is a time for the gathering of friends and families, festivities, celebrations, gift-giving, and contributions to charitable causes. My mother always taught me that it's better to give than to receive. I'll admit that as a young child, I found that advice hard to believe. I wanted presents. Fortunately, as I grew up and gained a more mature perspective, I found that the simple joy of giving was a gift in itself. I also learned that gifts weren't limited to the material things that could be wrapped in pretty packages for special occasions. My nursing career showed me many other avenues to gift-giving that are intrinsic to professionalism.
Gifts take many forms. They come from our connections to others, the relationships that we forge, the good work that we do, and the enrichment and satisfaction that result. The act of gift-giving includes mentoring, freely sharing knowledge with those who might benefit, providing support during challenging times, offering empathy and compassion even when it's difficult, and volunteering for meaningful causes. None of these benevolent actions necessarily comes with a hard-and-fast promise that a favor will be returned, that the effort will be acknowledged, or that a material reward will be offered.
It may seem unfair, but not everyone will be grateful for the gifts we give. Nurses who maintain an expectation of gratitude will likely experience many disappointments in life as well as in their nursing careers. For some individuals, those disappointments strongly influence their decision to avoid involvement without a guarantee of compensation, reward, or recognition. This approach is akin to giving a holiday present to someone only on the condition that the person will give a gift in return of equal or greater perceived value.
Those always seeking tangible returns on their investments might want to consider a broader perspective about what constitutes a valuable return. The best of giving doesn't involve a scorecard. The real reward is the knowledge that it's the right thing to do. So, in this season of giving and beyond, think about the gifts you can give to others as a nurse, and let the spirit move you.
Until next time,
Linda Laskowski-Jones, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CEN, FAWM, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief, Nursing2016 Vice President, Emergency & Trauma Services Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del.