[queen_mimi]

I'm fixing to start my senior year in NS (yay!!!)... have worked the last 2 years on a med/surg floor and recently transferred to the surgical/trauma ICU unit in a pretty decent sized hospital. Last night was my 3rd night on the job. We got back to back traumas. The pivotal moment for my night occurred when I got a patient who was in a motorcycle accident with his wife. When he came up to the unit, he'd just got told his wife was killed, that he had to lie still because of having cervical fractures, and was to have a chest tube inserted at bedside. He was in so much pain when they were trying to insert his chest tube (also had femur fracture on top of punctured lung, etc plus the chest tube insertion is incredibly painful in itself) that he just could not hold still. I ended up looking him in the eye, holding his hand... and saying "I know this hurts. I know you're hurt. I know you've had a heck of a night. But we can do this. Squeeze my hand as tight as you need to." He calmed down and squeezed my hand until I felt like it was gonna fall off! But he made it through the procedure. You know what? Being in there with this man who had the worst night of his life was the most amazing experience I've had yet. I felt so powerful... and powerless... I felt like I have found my calling in nursing. While I could not do anything to change the circumstances, I was able to be there for my patient emotionally, yet keep a level head. I was there with him when his kids came in. Witnessed one of the most emotional exchanges I've ever seen.
So the point of this whole thread... have you had an experience at work as a nurse tech... or on the floor at clinicals... that just made you say, "this is why I want to be a nurse"? Any experience you've had that affirmed what the essence of nursing is?
I know NS is stressful. But I have a feeling that being able to impact the lives of those we serve will be totally worth it in the end. Keep on truckin guys!

[suzy253]

Several, several incidences/experiences when I say....'this is what it's all about' / this makes it all worth it.

[lilag02]

I haven't had any experiences like that...yet. I'm starting my pre-reqs, well, yesterday, but your post reminded my WHY I'm doing it. It's not the money, it's not being in the medical field, it's being able to do what you just described. I'm sure your patient appreciated that, even though he may not have been able to show it. I hope the rest of the road is easier for him. Thanks for sharing.

Laura

[locolorenzo22]

yep...the one moment in a hectic night that makes it worth it....what I wouldn't give for everyone to have that feeling once in their life....(ps..for hand squeezing, put one finger on top of the other....for some reason that can't squeeze the life outta your hand)

[queen_mimi]

Posted this a week or so ago... kinda surprised I didn't get many responses... yes, nursing school is super hard and pretty much life consuming. Yet, I believe that, in order to maintain your sanity, we should all take a step back from all the worrying... and remember why it is that we've decided to become nurses... This is the post I'd posted previously... responses definitely welcome!:

I'm fixing to start my senior year in NS (yay!!!)... have worked the last 2 years on a med/surg floor and recently transferred to the surgical/trauma ICU unit in a pretty decent sized hospital. Last night was my 3rd night on the job. We got back to back traumas. The pivotal moment for my night occurred when I got a patient who was in a motorcycle accident with his wife. When he came up to the unit, he'd just got told his wife was killed, that he had to lie still because of having cervical fractures, and was to have a chest tube inserted at bedside. He was in so much pain when they were trying to insert his chest tube (also had femur fracture on top of punctured lung, etc plus the chest tube insertion is incredibly painful in itself) that he just could not hold still. I ended up looking him in the eye, holding his hand... and saying "I know this hurts. I know you're hurt. I know you've had a heck of a night. But we can do this. Squeeze my hand as tight as you need to." He calmed down and squeezed my hand until I felt like it was gonna fall off! But he made it through the procedure. You know what? Being in there with this man who had the worst night of his life was the most amazing experience I've had yet. I felt so powerful... and powerless... I felt like I have found my calling in nursing. While I could not do anything to change the circumstances, I was able to be there for my patient emotionally, yet keep a level head. I was there with him when his kids came in. Witnessed one of the most emotional exchanges I've ever seen.

So the point of this whole thread... have you had an experience at work as a nurse tech... or on the floor at clinicals... that just made you say, "this is why I want to be a nurse"? Any experience you've had that affirmed what the essence of nursing is?

I know NS is stressful. But I have a feeling that being able to impact the lives of those we serve will be totally worth it in the end. Keep on truckin guys!

[BortaZinTx]

That's a great story.

I'd already decided to become a nurse before (indeed, had been in NS for a year already), but the time I spent at the St Louis Children's Hospital PICU with my wife's niece (4 years old, getting a heart transplant) over Christmas 2007 really reaffirmed my desire to become a nurse--specifically a Peds/NICU/PICU nurse. The nurses and doctors who were caring for that baby were amazing.

[Jules A]

Not sure what your title was last time but relavent ones usually generate more responses.

[Jaguar Boy]

Just being around and helping people during stressfull and often momentous times in their life is really meaningful to me. I was comforting the husband of a woman who had survived a fall onto train tracks...it meant a lot to me to be there at such an intense time in their lives.

[Bicster]

Originally Posted by queen_mimi

So the point of this whole thread... have you had an experience at work as a nurse tech... or on the floor at clinicals... that just made you say, "this is why I want to be a nurse"? Any experience you've had that affirmed what the essence of nursing is?

There are 10,000 other threads like this, sorry you feel slighted by lack of responses.

[sirI]

Threads merged for continuity.

Good luck with the remainder of your nursing program.