Nursing From Your Heart

kimber1984

My sister has been a dialysis nurse for seven years now, she always knew she wanted to be a nurse since childhood. I, on the other hand, couldn't quite make up my mind as to what I wanted to do with my life. That is, until last year when I suddenly knew exactly what my life's calling was, and the reason for it.

I had literally heard hundreds of stories from my sister over the years about her job. The patients, the doctor's, the other nurses and so on. Some were so horrible I often wondered why she stayed at the dialysis clinic and hadn't ventured out into the wide world that nursing seems to offer, especially considering the fact that dialysis nurses tend to make the lowest salary of all.

Well, one evening she began telling me a story about an old man who had been a patient at the clinic for a year or so and whom had grown dear to her. He often told her stories of his childhood and she never grew tired of it. In fact, she had looked forward to his days at the clinic and would sit beside him during her lunch break just to listen to yet another adventure of his younger days.

One day while the old man was getting his treatment he called for my sister, she said it sounded like a desperate cry, one that she still can't forget. She ran over to his chair and, quickly looking at the machine, realized his blood pressure was dropping rapidly. She grabbed his hand and he simply said "I'm scared". She told him not to be scared that he would be ok, although she knew that was probably not the case by the look on the administrator's face.

My sister screamed for an AED, but the charge nurse said they couldn't shock him because he had signed a DNR. My sister began begging the staff to shock him but no one would. Everyone just stood there staring at her as if she was crazy. She was crying by this time, and the old man had long ago lost consciousness.

So, my sister, being the wonderful human being that she is, began administering CPR on her friend until the charge nurse pulled her off of him. The charge nurse was crying as well, probably because they consider themselves close friends, and she felt bad for my sister.

After my sister finished her story, I asked her why she had tried so hard to save the man and she said "Because I wish someone would have tried forour daddy, don't you?"

At which time, I began to cry, because you see, our father was a diabetic that suffered from kidney function loss. He, too, was on dialysis for several years before he died, and, although we had begged him not to, he had also signed a DNR.

My father passed away on June 22, 2000 from cardiac arrest. I now know why my sister works at a place that seems filled with so much dread.....her patients are fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters....they are loved by someone who would miss them terribly, they deserve kindness and understanding of their fears.

My sister has shown me that nursing is more than a paycheck, its a passion for giving that kindness and understanding to these patients, and that's exactly why I'm in nursing school now.

Nursing From Your Heart

About kimber1984

More Like This