This is a guest blog post by Virginia Garberding, R.N. If you would like to submit a guest article please check out our guest post guidelines.
Two years ago, I didn’t know what a blog was. I was given this treasure as part of a website for a book I wrote, and for some time just let the blog sit there unappreciated because I didn’t understand this gift of communication and therefore, didn’t value it.
Then a very wise person suggested I start a blog. I thought – in my wisdom – that I would write a blog for family caregivers. I’d share from my years of experience in healthcare with that heroic going-it-all-alone on the home front. So I jumped right in, and was surprised that caregivers weren’t just waiting for my information.
Blogging is certainly not for the faint of heart. When your readers aren’t lined up, in awe of your pearls of wisdom, it takes commitment, dedication – and, more than anything – something to say to keep going.
This is what attracted me to blogging in the first place: the opportunity to put your ideas out there and see what happens. In our day-to-day lives, it’s often hard to find someone interested in your ideas; most people want to be heard, not to hear someone else.
As a dedicated blogger, I have a few rules for myself. I blog three times a week on whatever occurs to me during that week, but I also blog pages from books that have been beneficial to me (in the hope of encouraging others to read a book I value).
I never post comments on others’ blogs that aren’t beneficial to anyone but me. I get many comments like “glad I found you” and “I used you as a resource” but these are of no benefit to anyone but me. I want to always be careful that I’m not on an ego trip.
When I wrote my book I made myself a sign that read, “This isn’t about you!” To make sure I stayed on point I set up that sign every time I sat down to write (hopefully I don’t still need that sign).
Sometimes your original intent is not what God intended for you. I started my blog for the independent caregiver and instead have been “found” by healthcare students. I am gratified hearing from nursing students, nursing assistant training programs, physician assistant programs, pharmacy students as well as persons involved in elder services. This turn of events would have been outside of my imagination two years ago.
During my career in nursing, I have often witnessed nurses retire and watched as they walked away with their knowledge and history. I never wanted that to happen to me. And maybe I didn’t want all of those patient’s stories over the years to be forgotten.
Blogging has turned into a real gift to me, not for the complements but for the comfort in putting these stories out there. I take great satisfaction in knowing these people aren’t forgotten.
You can learn more about Virginia at Nurse Virginia Blog — she discusses important topics such as aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, Caregiver Support, nursing homes, and more.
