Dear Ann Landers,
You have printed several letters from nurses who said their job is difficult, back-breaking and unrewarding. While I agree this is not the easiest work in the world, I feel privileged to be a nurse because I can make a difference in the lives of people when they need it most. I am honored to be a member of this noble profession and am sure there are thousands of others like me. -- Becky in Charleston, S.C.

Dear Becky,
Thank you for your touching letter. I recently received this poem from the Faxton Hospital Foundation in Utica, N.Y., which the nurses in my reading audience will find inspiring: What Is a Nurse? by Ann E. Coupe A nurse is a very special person, who Never fails to place the needs of patients first, whose Unique gentleness and depth of love are selflessly given: a Radiant and humane person, dedicated to caring for the sick: that Special bridge between physician and patient so vital to recovery. Ever loving, ever giving, a nurse is the orchid of God's flowers. And now, dear readers, what follows is the last corsage I am pinning on the nurse's shoulder for several months to come. Here it is: