Geriatric nursing: that great pillar, now in question

Today, May 12, is once again International Nursing Day.

This is a well-deserved day. Even more so, after this chaotic year full of emergencies and health needs. Today no one doubts that nurses have a great labor and social role. Today no one doubts your great service.

It is a great day to celebrate, if it were not for the fact that some of these nurses still have to struggle to justify our figure and our work. For those who don't know who I'm talking about... I'm referring to geriatric specialist nurses.

At this point in history, the geriatric nurse should not have to justify or demonstrate what their role or place is, but unfortunately, there are still doubts and resistance regarding their figure and the importance of their specialist work.

Colleagues, today is our day! Let's celebrate that we feel trained, capable and competent to be accompanying in a professional, informed, conscious and effective way people and families in their aging process.

Let's applaud ourselves for all those cases, teams, services, residences... etc. that we have managed efficiently. Let's rejoice for having contributed to the years of life, which are already more, are also of quality. Let us reaffirm that we have the ideal approach that allows us to perceive aging without distortion and without being guided by stereotypes, cultural vices or superficial impressions.

Let us congratulate ourselves, because we offered with our work, everything they needed, those patients who said goodbye to us at discharge with a smile and how we accompany others, in the trance to eternal rest.

Anyone goes, has been a general trend. We have had little firmness in our identity. Perhaps, this has made us stay in the shadows.

It may not be seen out of interest or out of absent-mindedness, but the fact that geriatric nursing is a great pillar is already a fact. We must gather group strength, share our knowledge, continue training and never forget that our essence, our approach, is necessary to be able to see aging in all its breadth and to be able to accompany the elderly and their families well in their health issues at this stage of life.

Our discourse, as well as the firmness in the perspective we maintain regarding aging and the elderly person, distinguishes us. Our work is professional, focused on the person and the circumstances that surround and affect them. 

We look at each person as unique and understand aging as a stage of life in which there is a diversity of profiles, processes and life situations.

The geriatric nurse does not just remember a degree. She remembers that a cultural change is pending and this is sometimes a bit uncomfortable. But it doesn't matter because we are already on it. We don't need congratulations, we just need a non-hostile environment in which we can do our job well. Finally, just to say that it is essential to feel firm in our identity, confident in our speech, professional and efficient in our work and to make ourselves visible as a group whenever we have the opportunity.

Congratulations fellow nurses, congratulations to all!!!!