[Roy Fokker]

I've posted this before:

I was a student nurse.

Working our first peds rotation at Children's Hospital. This rotation was always high in demand - I picked it for no other reason than to see what peds would be like (and definitely for the instructor. I loved her to pieces - she was just completely awesome! )

Up untill that time - I really didn't have an idea of what I wanted to do once I got done with school, KWIM? I had some vague ideas of getting into some kind of critical care at some point in time.

Anyways, this was my last week of clinicals. Up untill that point, the whole experience had been a roller coaster. We had some really sick kids who coded and din't make it and also some sick kids who got well and went home. Peds was starting to "affect me".

But my last patient was the cake.

She was in for a double ureter reimplant. I was assigned to her the day after she'd had the surgey. She was this really sweet 6 year old girl.

Absolutely the bravest person I've met in ages.

Ne'er a cry or whimper. She was absolutely delightful - never asked for pain meds unless it really really really hurt. Despite my assurances that it was ok to ask for something to make the pain go away - she never did.

We were assigned 8 hour shifts and I went about it my own way - general checks/assessments q2h, checking her tubes (2 JPs and 1 SP) and drains qh. Meds as ordered. Gave her baths. Linen change. Played "chance" and some other games - heck, even played with her stuffed toys

The only thing she wanted to know was when could she get outta bed - because she wanted to go for a ride in the toy cart She asked me all kinds of questions, from her body, her condition, to me, my background etc.

I'm telling you, absolutely the most adorable patient I've ever had.


So anyways, I go back the next day. And I'm assigned to her again (mildly surprising. I'm the only guy in our batch on the floor who has constantly been reassigned to the same patients. I didn't find out till the end of our rotation that this was done at patients request - they'd liked me and the job I did so they wanted me again!)

So I walk into the room to do morning assessments and while checking her BP I could see she was trying hard not to giggle. So I turn my back to get her meds - and I can see her squirming in her bed. So I ask her what's up.

She asks me to close my eyes, she has a surprise for me.

I close my eyes and in my hands, she places this little card. Made in green paper.

Here's a link to the card: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...cardinside.jpg

It said "To Roy,

Thank you for taking good care of me

from,
XXXX"

Her Mom explained that she'd spent 4 hours, painstakingly drawing with her right hand (she's a southpaw but her left hand was boarded with an IV board).


My vision was blurry. I don't cry easy but I did feel that one tear drop down my cheek. I gave the kid a warm, heartfelt hug.

I'd been having a horrible week to the point that I even came to doubt myself. I was wondering if I'd bitten off more than I could chew. Debt was killing me. Working two jobs just to barely keep my head above the water, sleeping about 4 hours a night at best etc. etc.

That card and her smile when she gave it to me changed all that.

That was when I decided - right then and there - that it was all worth it. That's when I decided that when I graduated, I was going to do peds. Life or death, sickness, suffering or recovery; I just knew right then that I'd be doing it with kids.

That card is now with my parents - my father keeps a collection of stuff from us kids.

I know it's not a very special story compared to what some of y'all have experienced and it's probably pretty regular for nurses to experience stuff like this.

But it was just a life defining experience for me

[prmenrs]

Suitable for framing, Roy! And, imo, should be somewhere you can see it when the day-to-day "stuff" is getting you down.

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

That was when I decided - right then and there - that it was all worth it. That's when I decided that when I graduated, I was going to do peds. Life or death, sickness, suffering or recovery; I just knew right then that I'd be doing it with kids.

That card is now with my parents - my father keeps a collection of stuff from us kids.

I know it's not a very special story compared to what some of y'all have experienced and it's probably pretty regular for nurses to experience stuff like this.

But it was just a life defining experience for me

THANK YOU ROY! that was awesome to read! and no, it isn't "regular" - but often enough to make a very big difference to us/me ....

xoxo

[nursemelani]

Oh man, this is a tear-jerking thread. I am loving it !! A couple of my stories :

While working as an aide in an assisted living facility, I was taking care of a 90 year old woman who was disoriented 99% of the time. She was usually able to use the bathroom with minimal assistance, but that day she had had an accident, and I was cleaning her up and getting her dressed again. I was kneeling in front of her, and she put a hand on my shoulder, looked into my eyes, and said "Thank you, you girls are so nice to me. You do such important work". Then she went back into her usual disoriented state. I also had a couple of residents at the same facility who would call the nurses station and ask for me (and only me) to get them undressed for the night. They told me that they appreciated my patience and gentleness.

Since becoming an LVN, I have had some nice thank yous too, but I think that despite the lousy money, I did my most rewarding work as an aide.

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by nursemelani

Since becoming an LVN, I have had some nice thank yous too, but I think that despite the lousy money, I did my most rewarding work as an aide.

Yeah, I have been pretty surprised, and MOVED, by the stories on this thread- YOURS is no exception, and thank you for posting it!

[911fltrn]

I received some very nice thank you letters. I received one from a family that made me cry. I received it about 3 months after the family sent it to the ceo of the hospital. My boss gave it to me as i was resigning.

These days Im just happy when my patient says thank you. It seems so rare anymore. Ive been working at an inner city hospital and the patients just seem to expect the world, and i dont hear the words thank you very much.

[hica19]

I just recently graduated nursing school and haven't started my new grad program yet. However during nursing school, I had several touching moments. They were all verbal, but they really meant a lot to me and makes me proud to be a nurse.

1. In med/surg, I had a patient who had a mastectomy. She was just the sweetest thing. Actually, her whole family was wonderful. The grand-daughter actually even went to my school, but a different major. Anyways, this patient really loved popsicles. Everytime I handed her one, it really makes her day.

2. I had a patient with a fractured hip. Man she loved to talk. Everytime I went into her room, it was hard to get out because she was really chatty. Anyways to make a long story short...at one point, she told me her buttock area felt kinda wierd. I had learned about pressure sores from school, so I asked her if she would like to sit on a pillow for comfort. At first she said it was ok. But I told her about the risk of pressure sores, and she agreed to use a pillow. So I asked my instructor to help me move a pillow under the patient. The patient said it felt much better with the pillow, and she told my instructor that I was smart to suggest the pillow. During the med/surg semester. We had clinicals 2 days in a row and we keep the same patient unless they get discharged on the second day. Anyways, my patient was set to be discharged before I went to clinicals on the second day. However I was told she was staying because she still could not pull herself up. I went to do my start of shift assignments, and we got to talking again. The patient told me the story on how she wasn't able to go home yet. I told her she made my day easier because I did not have to pre-lab on another patient. She laughed and told me it was the greatest thing she heard all day. And at the end of my shift, I went to her room again to say goodbye. She shook my hand, and told her she was coming back to the hospital a couple of weeks later for a bigger surgery and would like it if I could take care of her again. I told her my clinicals were ending before she would be back. She looked kinda disappointed, but she shook my hand and told me good luck and that I would be a great nurse.

3. In my final semester preceptorship clinical, I was in the NICU. One day, I took care of two grower and feeders pretty much on my own. My preceptor had told me I was doing such a great job, she felt she could almost go home. The greatest reward though was the compliment I recieved from the family of a baby I was not even assigned to. She knew me by name and at one point held my hand and told me I was doing such a great job and that they wanted to thank me for it. they knew I was a student nurse and they told me I will make a great nurse. It really made me feel rewarded. And at one time when the baby's nurse was busy, the mom asked if I could weigh the baby and get him ready for breastfeeding. It's just these little things, and how patients and families trust us to take care of them that make me feel really rewarded and proud to be a nurse. I really can't wait till I start my new grad program in pediatrics. More opportunities to help make a difference in people's lives.

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by 911fltrn

I received some very nice thank you letters. I received one from a family that made me cry. I received it about 3 months after the family sent it to the ceo of the hospital. My boss gave it to me as i was resigning.

These days Im just happy when my patient says thank you. It seems so rare anymore. Ive been working at an inner city hospital and the patients just seem to expect the world, and i dont hear the words thank you very much.

As you were RESIGNING! Great ... (yes I'm being sarcastic) ... Idiots... Doesn't admin. know that part of the reason we leave is that we feel underappreciated, that the 3/4 of our souls that go into the work get destroyed, no matter WHAT we are paid (altho, new clothes I could go for ... $ to repair the car, etc... would go a ways...) -- As to the patients, er, excuse me, "CUSTOMERS" ... one sincere thank you is priceless ... perhaps if they are the customers (according to the "companies"), and we are the "waitresses", we SHOULD be able to accept tips ... ya know?

Sorry, getting mad FOR you -- it's not right...

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by hica19

It's just these little things, and how patients and families trust us to take care of them that make me feel really rewarded and proud to be a nurse. I really can't wait till I start my new grad program in pediatrics. More opportunities to help make a difference in people's lives.

AWESOME! See, it is that kind of energy and enthusiasm we all ought to be able to hang on to. THANK YOU hica19! I appreciate your stories!

[StNeotser]

Two nights ago the son of one of my patients hung around until after I was done with report at 2230 to give me a tube of Crabtree and Evelyn hand lotion. He said, "I know what with you being night shift you probably don't get too many thankyous" which was really thoughtful of him.

It made my night. Nay, my week.