Every Word Counts

Dear Nurses,

I'm glad to be back to you after a stint in hospital and no blogging. I've just had my first ever visit to hospital and am more passionate now than ever about the power of your language as nurses to your patient's recovery.

I'd like to share a poem with you that Mother Teresa lived by when nursing her patients; it's called The Anyway Poem. As a nurse, every kind word of encouragement helps your patients to recovery so don't stop to worry about your grammar, don't fret over whether your words are as elaborate as your colleagues or as technical as the doctor's; be yourself and use kind empowering words, just because!

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

[Reportedly inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta, and attributed to her. However, an article in the New York Times has since reported (March 8, 2002) that the original version of this poem was written by Kent M. Keith.]

Until next week,
Marie