A Valued Life

As I walked to my car, after a difficult 12-hour shift, a woman I didn’t recognize approached me with a wide grin on her face. She placed her hand on my shoulder and said, “Five years ago I sought care at your hospital for anxiety and depression. At the time, my daughter prohibited me from babysitting and no longer trusted me with my own grandchildren.” She thanked me for believing in her before going on with her story.

“With the help of the program you headed, I regained my confidence and became a nanny for an influential political family. The best part of this is the regained trust my family had in me. You made a difference in my life.”

She thanked me for believing in her which in her words, “helped her to overcome depression.”

In psychiatric nursing we often encounter people who are struggling with overwhelming life situations. One of the greatest gifts we can give our patients is a way to believe in themselves and find the value in their life-to make a life worth living.

— Dorothy Beeson-Caswell, RN
Behavioral Health
West Tower 6
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center