personal story of the receiving end of nursing

Nursing Students General Students

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started a post on having been a patient and then learning about nursing. How about stories about a great nurse you had while as a patient...The one I'm thinking of was the ER nurse I had 10 years ago. While undergoing infertility treatment, Pergonal gave me cysts on my ovaries, which then burst and bled as I was 7 weeks pregnant. I went in to the hospital, they admitted me for 2 days until I stabilized. H&H was down to 7. Went home and was home half an hour when an ectopic ruptured...not good. Went back in by ambulance (with my own crew no less - I am a former paramedic) with two large bore IV's of Ringers wide open. At the ER, the ER doc was screaming at me for my history (I remember laying there thinking, you know, for an ER doc, you're pretty excitable) but all I could manage in the pain and anxiety was "get my chart. I just left here half an hour ago." I mean I still had the wrist band on! Anyway, came in with blood count down to 4, bp 80/60; hearing them say "type and cross match" I knew I was going to die on the table. After they cut open my belly which was tamponading the bleeding, I knew it would be all over...at any rate, the nurse story is the wonderful lady who wiped up all the diarrhea all over my bottom. I had to have a BM and was so sick I didn't care where. I remember her murmuring gently, "you poor thing, you're so sick..." Never did see her face or learn her name, but have never forgotten her...

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Growing up I had urological problems that required constant care and monitoring. I practically lived at their office and late night emergencies were commonplace! Both the quality of care I received there and from the pharmacy was wonderful and probably the reason I am becoming a nurse

Living in a small town before chain pharmacies, the pharmacist would get out of bed at any hour to fill a prescription. One nite about 2 am we averted a robbery and he was forever thankful! We had pulled up and were waiting for pharmacist to arrive. There was a smash from the back of the building and some people running. This was in the late 70's and they never got in as they must have thought my mom's Buick Regal with roof rack for a canoe was a copcar with lights (looked like it in the dark!). The police came and we got the script for free!

As far as nurses- Nurse Nancy at my urologists was MY nurse. I thought she belonged to me and me only!! He was always so gentle and kind and nurturing to me. She passed a few years ago and I cried so hard!! I will never forget the care she gave me and the compassion she showed me!

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Hi have had expriences with nurses.This was in L&D.I was admitted to hospital due to low iron count and was told i would be given an ultrasound to ensure all was well.Anyway a week passed,still waiting for ultrasound and bored as hell.Went into labour at around 8pm and no one paid any interest.When doc came told her i was in labour she did an exam,checked for feotal heart beat and said she'd be back later to check.Well nurse came over told me to time contractions and let her know when they were 5mins apart.Needless to say when that time arrived nurse x was no where to be found.Apparently shifts had changed.When the pains became unbearable i asked the other nurses on duty to lend some assistance.They paid no interest in me at all telling me it was just gas.Wanted to throw up so hurried to the bathroom.On my way out i had the most excrutiating pain ever and my water broke.One of the nurses came into the bathroom and told me to go back to bed.I explained to her my water had broke.She felt my tummy and told me i wasn't in labour as i was not contracting.I kept telling her my water had broke and the baby was coming and she kept insisting it wasn't so until i started yelling and swearing at her.Just then two more nurses rushed over and helped me back to bed.They did a check and realised the baby's head was already out.They started scrambling and rushed me over to the delivery room where my daughter was born within 2 mins.Think they needed to go back to school.On the maternity ward was different the nurses were super.One in particular stood out for me.She was the sweetest nurse ever.She was really there for me.Helped me out a lot being a first time mom and all.She gave me advice and was always by my side.Will always appreciate and remember her kindness.Always look her up when i'm near the hospital.Have more experiences but will leave them for another time.Let's just say i've experienced both worlds,the good and the bad.

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Every time I have been a patient I have always had great nurses. But there are 2 times that really stand out in my memory. When I was pregnant with my first son I went into labor at 32 weeks. After they had stopped my labor and were just monitoring me, the nurse gave me a personally L&D tour (I was still in bed strapped to the monitor so it was a short one). Since I was put on bedrest I wasn't able to go on the real tour my nurse gave me one while I was in bed. SHe showed me everything and explained what it was and what it was for. She really made me feel like a some what normal mommy.

THe other time that really stands out in my mind is when I was pregnant w/ my second son. I had been in and out of L&D from 21 wks (preterm labor again). All of the nurses were great. I kept apologizing for wasting their time and crying all the time (I was scared to death of losing my baby and that they thought that I was responsable for all of it). All of my nurses were great with treating my emotions just as much as treating my PTL. I don't think that I would have made it through both of my pregnancies w/o them. Toward the end of my second pregnancy I knew all of the nurses and they all became close friends.

Erin

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Specializes in OB.

i had a horrid OB nurse who has since been fired from the facility. I am GBS, so have to have IV. SHe started it and I swear hit an artery because blood shot all over the wall with this HUGE forceful splat, she never apolgized. Later on, I was saline locked- it was like 6 hours after delivery and that IV site was REALLY hurting. I mean like, stabbing pain, and I noticed it was leaking blood around into the OP site. So I asked her the next time she came into the room- didnt even use the call button- just waited- if she could possibly call my doc and ask if I could have the IV removed. She made a snotty face at me and said " What, you can give birth and you can't handle an IV"

:trout:

I want to be a labor and delivery nurse, and I tell you that was SUCH a defining moment for me on how NOT to treat a new mom, or anyone else for that matter. I LOL when I heard that she got fired, but at least she was good for something in her miserable career, and that was to show me something, so I guess I am grateful to her ugly snot face :)

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