We recently attended the graduation ceremony for Travis and were greatly pleased when he gave the speech for the graduating class, as well as being awarded top honors in the class as voted on by the students. Carla said it was the best graduation speech she has ever heard; I thought you would enjoy reading an excerpted copy. Travis said that when he attended the graduation of the previous year’s class a year before, this speech flowed into his mind in almost its entirety right then.
Picture: Travis and David on graduation night
Good evening, thank you all for coming to support us tonight.
There have been so many people who’ve helped us all make it here to graduation tonight and I would like to express our gratitude to as many of them as possible.
First and foremost I would like to personally give thanks for Divine Providence, without which—I would not be here tonight.
To all of our friends and families who have been so supportive in so many ways….
Well we are finally here at graduation, it has been such a long path, it has been a path filled with sacrifice, with countless hours studying, with pressure, with stress, and sometimes even tears.
And I just wanted to make sure that I stated for the record that I never cried…
I find what works best for me is a special technique I developed where I just bottle up all my stress and emotions deep inside, and hope something good happens.
I see some worried faces out there, and I can see my family all nodding their heads in agreement,
Don’t worry people, it’s just supposed to be a joke, I promise BTC doesn’t teach the bottle technique, and I do have some healthy outlets to deal with stress,
In fact—self-care is an important concept emphasized throughout this nursing program.
If we fail to advocate for ourselves and for our own well-being, it is possible that we can become overburdened with stress. Finding time to recharge ourselves with healthy stress relieving activities is essential to maintaining balance and longevity in the nursing field.
For if we neglect to care for ourselves in this way, we will likely be unable to provide the highest standard of nursing care that our patients deserve.
We have worked so hard to get to where we are today, and we should all be proud of our hard work. That being said, I encourage you not to fall into a mindset of entitlement, but rather let us look at our achievements in this way…That we have proven ourselves to be safe, competent and compassionate nurses, worthy of the privilege of serving the infirmed at an RN level. For care-giving truly is an honor and a privilege.
We have reached a higher level of education, and I know that all of you are going to be great nurses. But what is greatness, and what does it mean to be great?
I would like to share with you a short story about a group of students similar to our own small class.
This group was talking amongst themselves when a dispute arose among them as to which was considered to be greatest.
Upon overhearing this conversation among his students, their teacher replied in so many words:
“The greatest among you will be your servant”.
It is my hope that we take this spirit of servitude and selflessness into the nursing profession. When we are with our patients let us set aside our differences; let us set aside anything that might be going on in our personal lives and just serve them.
Bringing medicine and monitoring vital signs are important aspects of nursing, but bringing a compassionate smile, a joyful – humorous attitude, and Love to your patients is what will facilitate healing of the whole person; body, mind, and spirit.
Making a difference in such a large world can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task, but let us not become weary in doing what is good, what is just, and what is in the best interest of our patients.
But what can one person really do to effect significant change?
I feel that Mother Theresa caught a glimpse of the Truth and spoke of it when she stated:
“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love is put in the giving.”
I would like to finish with a few words spoken by an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. This woman served as a nurse manager during the Crimean war in 1854 where she would make rounds to the wounded soldiers at night using an olive oil lamp. The Florence Nightingale olive oil lamp has since become an international symbol of nursing.
In 1860 Nightingale opened the first scientifically based nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. This laid the foundation that the future of professional nursing would build upon.
Here are a few of her words, and I quote:
“I would rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore.”
So get out there boldly; let your light shine before others; bring compassion, bring patience, bring humility, and above all else –love one another unconditionally.
Thank you.