Wendell Alderson

“All patients, no matter what, deserve the same level of care.”

Wendell Alderson, RN, is retired, but works part time as a recovery room nurse at Alhambra Surgery Center and Fort Sutter Surgery Center in Sacramento.

Why did I become a nurse?

I was a senior in high school and I had no idea what I wanted to do. A friend of mine asked me if I would like to volunteer at a local convalescent home in the afternoons after school. I went through some brief training and began spending my afternoons there feeding patients, writing letters for them, and taking them to the activities. I watched the nurses caring for the patients and became interested in what I was seeing. I asked several nurses about their jobs and began to think this might be something I would like to do. This was in 1969. Very few men were going into nursing, and my family was not too excited about the idea. My grandmother who was a nurse thought it was great. It was difficult as there really was not much support for me becoming a nurse. I went to our school nurse and asked her about it. She was very helpful getting me on the right track and courses to do my pre-nursing when I entered college. That is why and how I became a nurse.

What is the most rewarding experience?

This is a difficult question to answer. The rewards are many. I have been a bedside nurse my entire career. I enjoy patient care. I love teaching patients and family. I like making my patients comfortable. I enjoy listening to and finding out about my patients and their families. I have lifelong friendships with several patients and their families. I love it when someone walks up to me outside the hospital and recognizes me for being their nurse. Most of all I like the intimacy of the nurse patient relationship. Where else can you be with someone about to go to surgery, have a procedure, hear devastating news about themselves or their loved ones, be there for the joy of a new life, or experience a patient transition from life to death? Every day is different and I love that as well.

What advice would you give a new nurse?

All patients, no matter what, deserve the same level of care. It is difficult at times to care for some patients, but be aware they have a history that brought them to where they are today. You are only seeing them at probably one of the worst times in their life. Be patient. Take care of yourself as well. You cannot save everyone. You can only do your best.

What would you like to see changed about nursing?

I have been a nurse for 40 years. The changes I have witnessed are hard for me to even grasp at times. Nurses as a profession have come so far. Men are accepted into nursing now more than when I began. Nurses are regarded more as part of the team of health care providers than ever before. Change is inevitable. It is difficult sometimes, but change is good. Try to adapt to the ongoing changes in your profession.