"You are an angel!"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

*Hanging dilt on a patient in rapid a-fib, she says she's hungry, "I haven't eaten all day!" (it's 9:00 at night).

Entire time I'm hanging the med; checking vitals, giving bolus, starting gtt, rechecking vitals, it's "Can I have a sandwich?"

Get everything going, patient is tolerating the medication, it's having its intended effect, no adverse reactions noted, so I go get the sandwich.

"Oh, you are such an angel!!!"

*Older man in for abdominal discomfort. Get a line in, draw labs, hook up to monitors, get EKG, give antiemetic and pain meds. Whole time, he sits there tolerating everything.

Get warm blanket, fluff pillow, raise and lower the head of the bed until it's perfect. Now he's gushing "Oh, you are such a good nurse!"

*Hanging IV antibiotics on a child with a UTI, Mom asks me for a snack for the hungry child. Of course I get the snack, and receive a nice "Oh, thank you!" from Mom.

I understand that patient comfort is important, and it's nice to be thanked for those little things we do to keep our patients comfortable, but when did people get such a one-dimensional view of nurses that they don't even acknowledge the things we do to make them well or keep them alive?:nurse:

I was YouTubing not too long ago and I came across a home video made by some little girls. They were playing "nurse". One was the patient, and she was in a bed with tons of pillows and a little bell at the bedside. The other 2 or 3 of them were the "nurses". The "patient" would ring her little bell, and the "nurses" would all come running to see what she wanted, which was more pillows or some chicken soup, which they would all hurry to fetch immediately in a very subservient manner.

I understand that nurturing, caring, and being of service are integral components to nursing as a whole, but how did it get to be that these are the dimensions of nursing that are so prevalent in the minds of the layperson, almost to the exclusion of all of the other things we do?

maslow.png

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs .......

True Story: A family member of mine had recently been diagnosed with cancer, was quite sick and was going through the work-up. She was in outpatient recovery after a procedure and every fifteen minutes the nurse ( who was fabulous) asked her to rate her pain. Every time she said it didn't have a number b/c she didn't have any pain and would then state that she was thirsty. Each time, the nurse responded with, ok, let me give you just a little more time and then I'll get you something to drink. Finally, after several rounds of patient stating that her pain was a zero, she looked up at the nurse and said "but my thirst is a ten" We all cracked up, most of all the nurse. In our family, we now jokingly say "my thirst is a ten" when we really want the others pay attention and take us seriously.

Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

maslow's hierarchy of needs .......

my favorite hierarchy!

in our family, we now jokingly say "my thirst is a ten" when we really want the others pay attention and take us seriously.

what a great story! the seemingly little things in recovery really do matter, don't they?!?!?:heartbeat

Specializes in SICU.

I think in this society, Nurses are just not appreciated for being intelligent, competent individuals.

When i was going into NS, i was told, oh you will get to hold hands with people at their hardest time in life..

umm... thats not why i wanted to be a nurse (for those that this is the main reason, kuddos to you)

Anyway, i understand your frustration OP, people seem to dismiss Nurses and their contribution to the plan of care that goes soooooooo beyond giving sandwiches and holding hands!!!!

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
I think in this society Nurses are just not appreciated for being [u']intelligent, competent individuals.[/u]

When i was going into NS, i was told, oh you will get to hold hands with people at their hardest time in life..

umm... thats not why i wanted to be a nurse (for those that this is the main reason, kuddos to you)

Anyway, i understand your frustration OP, people seem to dismiss Nurses and their contribution to the plan of care that goes soooooooo beyond giving sandwiches and holding hands!!!!

Why did you want to be a nurse? (just asking in a nice way)

I DO like to be there for people and families. This part of nursing fulfills me. The IV's and procedural tasks are a minor part for me. Fun, but not what I completely went to school for. But that's just me.:D

I once had a pt call me waitress. She wanted some extra salt, and as I was done hanging up her IV, she hollared out "Oh waitress" and didn't even stop herself. :uhoh3:

Yeah, every time I go to a restaurant my waitress asks me if I want a bag of LR with my fries.:lol2::rolleyes:

Specializes in SICU.
why did you want to be a nurse? (just asking in a nice way)

i do like to be there for people and families. this part of nursing fulfills me. the iv's and procedural tasks are a minor part for me. fun, but not what i completely went to school for. but that's just me.:D

i once had a pt call me waitress. she wanted some extra salt, and as i was done hanging up her iv, she hollared out "oh waitress" and didn't even stop herself. :uhoh3:

yeah, every time i go to a restaurant my waitress asks me if i want a bag of lr with my fries.:lol2::rolleyes:

i love science and i wanted a career in the healthcare field that didn't involve years and years and years of grueling and expensive school. ns was hard, but at least it was over soon! plus i have less than $1000 in school loans. (yep thats right less than one thousand dollars):D

yes, except that while i was doing all of this, i was also conversing with her, reiterating to her that the priority was to get her heart rate under control so that she would feel better (this is the reason she came to the ed in the first place, after all), and that then i would happily get her a sandwich. once the med started taking effect and she started to feel better, she did not say thank you nor did she tell me i was an angel for having given the medication that made her feel better.

this is a joke, right?

how dare her thank you for the sandwich and not all the medical things you did!!!

i am sure she knew and understood all the complicated technical things you were doing for her!!!

how is administering a medication that relieves the symptoms of decreased cardiac output any less "caring" than bringing a sandwich? what is the more "caring" behavior; compromising patient safety by delaying the administration of the med to go fetch a sandwich, or promptly giving the medication and relieving the symptoms that brought them to the ed in the first place?

i wonder if the patient could really feel the "caring behavior" from either task - "administer meds" or "fetch a sandwich"?

and why is the measure of a good nurse how quickly they can bring a sandwich?

the measure of a good nurse is how caring they are when doing all aspects of their job,

not just the medical stuff.

I understand that patients don't know what we really do or that the pillow fluffer cough: nurse: cough was the one who alerted the md to a mega issue. But what i dislike is that patients think THEY KNOW ALL THAT WE KNOW AND our only responsibilities are to hand out trays etc. I hate that. I want to yell out, " GETTING YOU COFFEE IS NOT MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITIY" ASSESSING MY POST OP PT WITH LOW BP IS. But because the coffee took a little longer the pt thinks i am incompetent or slow.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

When people are at their most vulnerable state and stressed with the medical stuff that is going on, it's the little things that count and mean the most to them. It's the extra kindness taken to keep them comfortable and so on. They are grateful you are hanging their med, but realistically, that's what they came to the hospital for and that is the job you are paid to do. The paycheck is your thankyou.

I know no one wants to compare this to the taboo word of Customer Service, but really, when you go to a store or what not, is it the people doing their job you go around thanking or is it the people that took that little extra effort to make your experience more pleasant no matter what it was? Reminds me also of the tip jars you know often see in fast food places. I find it absurd. The employees are PAID to prepare and hand me my food swiftly. That's what their job is. They aren't working for tips. When they go above and beyond then by all means, they can have a tip.

I don't think it has any thing to do with patients not realizing all the other stuff. At least majority of it.

I have been a patient numerous times, I was most thankful for those that took the time out to treat me as a person and not just the "vag hys in room 62".

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I remember a elderly female patient that I admitted at 2 am one winter night. She had been sitting in the ER for some time before being admitted and was tired and scared when she got to the floor. After I got her settled I asked her if she needed anything.She very timidly asked if she could have something to eat and a warm drink. I got her tea and and a sandwich and then gave her a warm flannel from the warmer to help her sleep.I know what I did was not high tech and required no profound medical insight but when a someone feels awful it helps to feel like someone cares. You could provide all kinds of wonderful nursing interventions but if you ignore the little comforts people remember.

Similar thing my last shift, young girl comes in with mom and dad, they had been in the ER since 5 PM and didn't get transferred to my floor until 1 AM. So they had been there for a very long time. They were very scared, daughter was in for Neuro stuff and was not acting how she normally was. No one had really told them what was going on, they just had to witness their daughter turn crazy basically and then be medicated to a level that she could barely be woken up and when she was woken up she would flip out again. (hit in the head from a crash really hard). So needless to say they were terrified and had no idea what was really going on. They were just told her CT was fine and nothing more. But to them nothing was fine from what they were seeing.

They got to my floor and I took the time out to talk to them, to ask them how they were doing, to ask them what they needed, explain to them what was going on and have the admitting Doc. (who they had not met) talk to them. Get them some drinks and pull out the bed for them with linens. The parents were AMAZED and so thankful for what I did. To me I didn't do anything more then I usually did. I just treated them as people and understood how they probably were feeling. But for them it meant a lot. The mom was nearly in tears because of everything catching up to her and having such a rough night in the ER. I didn't want any special thanks for hooking up their daughters IV and doing neuro checks and so on. It felt good just to know their night was going better and I felt really good when I walked in and the daughter had drastically improves and the mom said "XXXXX this is MiVidaLoca, she has been taking such great care of you all night" the Daughter looked at me and said Thank you. I wasn't "the nurse" (although that works for me to" She knew my name.

Star, is your main beef in relation to the general public thinking that nurses are nothing more than 'medical waitresses' and hospitality slaves? Forgive me if I have tracked you incorrectly...feel free in telling me to get bent:)

It's not really a "beef", more of a question, and just wondering if this is universal, or if attitudes differ geographically.

I have to be honest, in our line of work just take the praise you get, no matter what it is for. Our patients can't always understand what the difference is when we start a new medication, but they know when we help relieve their hunger, listen to their life stories (even though there are 17 other people ringing their bell!), and stop to readjust a pillow. And honestly, I think that is what separates an okay nurse from a great one. An okay nurse does the tasks, the great one sees the patient and takes care of the whole person. I hope if I am in the hospital and feeling scared and sick, someone will get me a sandwich and warm blanket.

I don't really care about praise, actually, and that wasn't really the point of this thread. I just think it's interesting that, in general, people overlook the overall contributions made by nurses to their safety and well-being, and focus mainly on the servile aspects as what "good" nursing is. I'm not sure how fluffing a pillow ranks higher than being able to breathe, but apparently it does.

And, I do object to "tasks" becoming a four letter word. Nursing is full of tasks, important tasks, including bringing warm blankets and pillows and sandwiches. Those are tasks too. And just doing those tasks does not a caring attitude convey.

yes, except that while i was doing all of this, i was also conversing with her, reiterating to her that the priority was to get her heart rate under control so that she would feel better (this is the reason she came to the ed in the first place, after all), and that then i would happily get her a sandwich. once the med started taking effect and she started to feel better, she did not say thank you nor did she tell me i was an angel for having given the medication that made her feel better.

this is a joke, right?

how dare her thank you for the sandwich and not all the medical things you did!!!

i am sure she knew and understood all the complicated technical things you were doing for her!!!

how is administering a medication that relieves the symptoms of decreased cardiac output any less "caring" than bringing a sandwich? what is the more "caring" behavior; compromising patient safety by delaying the administration of the med to go fetch a sandwich, or promptly giving the medication and relieving the symptoms that brought them to the ed in the first place?

i wonder if the patient could really feel the "caring behavior" from either task - "administer meds" or "fetch a sandwich"?

and why is the measure of a good nurse how quickly they can bring a sandwich?

the measure of a good nurse is how caring they are when doing all aspects of their job,

not just the medical stuff.

you're right, i'm a horrible uncaring monster. now that we've established that, can we discuss the actual topic?

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