The Eiffel Tower, or La Tour Eiffel, was built from 1887 to 1889 and is representative of nursing to me. Many would agree that the Eiffel Tower is the most prominent and distinctive aspect of Paris, France. Its beauty and legacy is something people travel across the world to see. In many ways, this tower represents individuals around the world. Each and every human being embodies a trait, talent, or capability that he or she is proud of. One can only hope that others see this in the same frame of mind they view the Eiffel Tower. This aspect of ourselves that we hold dearly typically takes time and hard work to develop and perfect, similar to the two years it took to construct the Eiffel Tower. This monument was created with layers and layers of puddle iron plates and beams, which can be representative of the time, past experiences, and characteristics required for us to finally sculpt our own “Eiffel Tower” to share with the word. As a nurse, it is crucial to recognize our patient’s “Eiffel Tower”. Knowing this will not only create a rapport with the patient, but also aid in the care of the patient. I hope to further foster and cultivate each and every one of my patients’ most cherished piece of themselves as a nurse.
susangoran
Great analogy! I will never look at the Eiffel Tower from quite the same perspective as you have provided another one. Nice work!
apotter8
Heather- thanks for sharing this insight! What an interesting way to view the Eiffel Tower. I really love this idea of seeing all of the building blocks (both that meet the eye and those at the foundation) that make up our patients. This aligns a lot with the holistic way that I hope to approach nursing in order to work to understand all of my patients, especially those that are extremely different from me or that perhaps I don’t see eye to eye with/understand their decision making. I hope to bring this level of empathy and critical thought into my practice as a nurse- great job!
Heather
Thank you for your comment Ariel! I agree in that a holistic approach focusing on the individualization of each and every patient is going to serve as an important foundation in our futures as nurses.
couellette9
Great post Heather! I love your interpretation of the Eiffel Tower and nursing as each beam being an aspect of our being. It makes a lot of sense at how complex the human species is. Compared to mine I talked about how as nurses our compassion towards people in some of the worst moments of their lives is so important for patients mental health status. It plays in that we as nurses (and people) never know what makes up other peoples experiences unless we ask and make those connections.
Heather
Thank you for sharing Claudia! We seem to have very similar viewpoints in what the “art of nursing” means to us. Making connections and building a rapport with patients will be crucial to providing the best possible care to each and every patient we encounter.
jprevatt
Hi Heather,
I really enjoyed your analogy in seeing the patient’s Eiffel Tower, or La Tour Eiffel, and how we must build the structural foundation with our patient’s to help them reach their optimal health. I really liked how you linked our role as a nurse in building a positive relationship, and imparting a piece of yourself to others to really foster like-long success.
Heather
Thank you Josh!