“As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. There is without doubt a selflessness in the profession of nursing. You are going to carry with you a ray of hope wherever you go even when life gets too busy and personal difficulties crowd out your day.įinally, the light that shines is about burning out for others. So my dear students, today you are stepping into a new role. “Constant attention by a good nurse may be justĪs important as a major operation by a surgeon!” Yes, God has chosen you to be angels of encouragement.ĭag Hammarskjold the former UN Secretary General said, Or it can even be a pat on the shoulder or holding hands for a moment. We are called to do little acts of kindness which kindle hope in the heart of a patient. Secondly, the light that shines speaks about hope. So first of all we need to realize that there is darkness out there and we are called to shine our little lights in this darkness. More often it is the loneliness and the feeling of being deserted by friends and family that hurts people more.
It is not just physical illness that troubles people. We need to have a big picture of the suffering of people. It is in this context that we need to understand our role in the nursing profession. We live in a world where children make friends through social media rather than face to face.
We live in a world where the elderly are being forgotten. We live in a world where human rights are being violated. It is a symbolic act of the light that shines within your hearts.įirst of all the light that shines is a reminder of the darkness outside. Today students of this Institution of Nursing are making a new beginning through the lighting of candles. They can be small steps but its impact can be experienced in giant leaps.