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When this woman was called 'just a nurse,' she responded in a powerful way.

"I am the medical officer's eyes, ears and hands with the ability to assess, treat and manage your illness, and yet I am just a nurse."

Caitlin Brassington is a mother to three girls and has been a nurse in Australia for 18 years.

Needless to say, she works incredibly hard all day (and occasionally night) long.

One evening, when Caitlin was coming home after a particularly taxing day at work caring for sick babies, she decided to stop to pick up milk. There, she ran into an acquaintance who had never seen her in scrubs before. According to Caitlin, the acquaintance reacted with this unthinking response: She didn't realize Caitlin was "just a nurse."

It seemed to be a "slip of the tongue," but it hit Caitlin at her core. She'd heard this comment many times before, but on that particular day, after a long shift that left her emotionally and physically drained, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

So she wrote a letter on Facebook in the name of nurses everywhere to show the world how easily the word "just" can strip away one's significance.

'Just a Nurse'. I am just home from a busy shift, looking very ordinary in my scrubs. On the way home today I stopped at...

Posted by Caitlin Brassington on Thursday, October 6, 2016

Here are some highlights from Caitlin's poignant post that prove she's anything but "just a nurse."

I have performed CPR on patients and brought them back to life, and yet I am just a nurse.

I am the medical officers eyes, ears and hands with the ability to assess, treat and manage your illness, and yet I am just a nurse.

I can auscultate every lung field on a newborn and assess which field may have a decreased air entry, and yet I am just a nurse.

I can educate patients, carers, and junior nurses, and yet I am just a nurse.

I am my patients advocate in a health system that does not always put my patients best interest first, and yet I am just a nurse.

I will miss Christmas Days, my children's birthdays, and school musicals to come to work to care for your loved one, and yet I am just a nurse.









And she ends on the ultimate mic drop:

"I have the experience and knowledge that has saved people's lives. So, if I am just a nurse, then I am ridiculously proud to be one!"

GIF from "Scrubs."

It's unfortunate there are still people in the world who don't see how amazing and invaluable nurses are. But, thankfully, there are also people who have the utmost respect for them, and they made that clear in their messages to Caitlin.

"The reaction you should have received from your acquaintance was 'wow your a nurse — what a wonderful career'. My daughter found out yesterday that she has been accepted into university next year to study nursing. She is over the moon with excitement. ... You are an inspiration," wrote Susan Garrett.

"Our son spent a couple of days in NICU after his recent arrival. There I asked a paediatric nurse about how they were coping with staffing issues, the response I got was: 'Don't worry. There's not a force on Earth that will stop us looking after these babies'. I still get tears now," wrote Andrew Nelson.

Rob V Dyer, a male nurse who worked all over the world for 36 years, thanked her for the recognition in the face of the double-stereotyping he often experienced as a male nurse.

"With all the 'JUST A' or 'ONLY A' rubbish, I had to endure the many prejudices of being "just" a nurse who happened to be "only" a bloke! ... Thank you Caitlin Brassington. And all the other nurses, paramedics, combat medics, doctors, aids and assistants, all the others that DO care," he wrote on her post.

"Just" should never be used to describe people in professions that often go overlooked. Nurses save our lives in more ways than one every day.

Image via iStock.

Saying they're "just a nurse" can effectively cut their confidence in half. Nursing can often be a thankless job, but when someone casually states they're somehow less than because there isn't a "Dr." in front of their name, it's like an arrow to the Achilles' heel.

Hopefully Caitlin's post will curtail those "slips of the tongue" and remind everyone how disadvantaged they'd be without nurses. It's time we show these everyday lifesavers they matter much more than they realize.

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Meet the 18-year-old advocating for teen mental health, one inspiring podcast at a time

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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