At the end it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back. – Denzel Washington

graciousquotes.com

It feels great to be able to make something for my students once again. Giving to others feels really good. My mental health course is taught to first-semester nursing students. This semester is the first time in two years that this course has been face-to-face. Due to COVID, it went online during the spring 2020 semester. At that point, I stopped making little motivational gifts because how was I supposed to give them to my students when I could only see them virtually?

So, for $3 worth of candy canes, crafting supplies I already had, and about 30 minutes of my time I have made a small gift for each of my 34 students. I want them to walk away from the class knowing that each of them has made a difference in my life and that I am giving them a little piece of myself through this gift of thanks. I hope I have made a difference in theirs. My goal is always to at least have one student’s view of mental health change in a way that positively impacts their life.

I teach in a very conservative part of the United States. Many of my students know only what they have heard about mental illness from their families. Many have misconceptions about some of the diagnoses. Explaining at the beginning of the semester that I am here to facilitate their learning, that no question is stupid, and to let me know if they want to talk privately about any topic we cover in class makes a big impact. I have had students come to my office to discuss concerns they have due to their fears of saying the wrong thing to their patients. Other students will sit in my office, close to tears as they tell me about the current stressors they are experiencing in their personal lives. I love the connection I have with my students.

A time for Growth

This semester has been one of growth. Growth for my students. Growth for myself. We are coming out of a period of darkness and trying to get back into a “normal” routine. Some of my students have really opened themselves up to me by asking for advice or disclosing their own diagnoses. They have shared very personal information in the journal assignments I have added to this course. I feel privileged to have them feel safe enough to share with me. I want to be a person they can come to when they feel stressed during nursing school.

We all need that type of person in our lives. I have that in a couple of my co-workers. The support of others is a necessary part of good mental health. Many of the patients I have cared for during my nursing career did not have a support system, except for that found during an inpatient stay. The pandemic has resulted in a big increase in the level of anxiety we are seeing in our students, and in staff. We need to be proactive to support one another.

I choose to support other people. My students are a very important part of my life. I can’t wait to see their faces when giving them these candy canes in class this week. I hope I can make them smile the way they make me smile.