Rhode Island Nurse August 2022

August, September, October 2022 Rhode Island Nurse • Page 3
RISNA News
Sylvia Weber, RN, MSN, PCNS
Since early childhood I
was always sensitive to my
surroundings and would be
the one who would intervene
when peers would be
aggressive or cruel towards
any living being. This, and
my mothers favorite saying,
“it’s a great life if you don’t
weaken,” was the foundation
for the path I followed and
committed to.
A defining experience occurred when I was six
years old when relatives from Europe, who were
survivors of the Holocaust, came to the United
States and stayed with family until they were able
to create a life here. After I went to bed I would
pretend I was sleeping. I stayed awake because I
wanted to hear them share their experiences. It was
this experience that led me to make a commitment
that as long as I lived I would so something every
day to make this a better world for all, no matter
how small or large it was, a smile, a greeting, a chat,
support, etc. As I followed this path I learned about
many principles/concepts. One is the concept of
innocence, the ability to approach each situation
with “new eyes” while taking into account lessons
previously learned. I also learned that in Western
thought we tend to believe in a beginning and
an end instead of eternity which allows us to be
near sighted rather than look at our impact on all
generations, all of life, present and future.
When the time came for me to explore the
career path I wanted to follow, these and other
experiences, led me to look at professions that
brought compassion, healing and knowledge into
the world to help others. I was drawn to nursing as it
is based on these principles/concepts.
During my career I continued to have
experiences that broadened and expanded my
knowledge of the underlying principles/concepts
that enhanced my life and work. As Dolores
Krieger, RN, PhD said, “think deeply and care
deeply.” This occurred at Pumpkin Hollow Retreat
Center in New York State. It was also there that I
learned a wonderful metaphor that’s an underlying
principle for me, that of the brook: The brook is
always changing and its path is not always smooth.
It comes to rocks and other obstacles to eventually
find a way around or over the obstacle, and it
keeps on flowing.
Equally true is the principle of consciousness.
As James O’Dea stated in an Institute of Noetic
Science publication in the winter of 2008-2009,
“consciousness can be limited and divisive or can
lead to a new humanity, the capacity to heal, to
forgive, to deepen the bonds of friendship and love
and become an integrated whole/oneness.”
My experiences as a nurse also expanded my
view of spirituality. There are many ways people
express their spirituality, organized religion being
one. It includes our relationship with and within the
universe. It’s also our sense of purpose, direction
and why we believe we are here. It’s our feelings
of connectedness with our selves, with others,
with all of life. When we have a clear sense of our
spiritual path, our sense of purpose, and are true
to it, our possibilities are limitless. We understand
that when one door closes, another opens. We
understand that opportunities are not better or
worse, they are different. We understand that we
are more comfortable with the concept of surrender
as not giving up but rather of turning it over from
the physical plane to the spiritual plane while
still doing what’s in our control on the physical
plane. We understand that surrender is letting go
of our attachment to the outcome. It is true that
we may not get what we want and we understand
that we are starting a process of change and of
transformation. The process of our experiences are
as important as the outcome.
As a result, to me, nursing is more than a
profession, it is who we are and how we live and
walk in this world.
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