Thank you's - memorable ones you've received?

Nurses Relations

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Have you received memorable cards and gifts from patients and families that made your day? I have always loved to see the cards, flowers, etc that people will send after our patients go home. Especially I like a progress report that shows our caring made a difference!

We may feel like "just another provider" but when we get a little thanks or recognition, for example, "The best unit my mom has been on" etc., it just helps ease the pain of the trials we face and feeling unappreciated.

I know we aren't supposed to take gifts but my supervisor once made an exception. I was caring for a lady in a nursing home and she passed away. Her family gave me a special watch that was made with abelone shell, it was gorgeous. They just liked how I had cared for her in her last days.

This is something that says "thanks" to all of us - and from some of us, to you. It is written as if people with disabilities might have written it, but it seems to apply to any of our nursing experiences:

BEATITUDES FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE

BLESSED ARE YOU who take time to listen to difficult speech, for you

help us to know that if we persevere we can be understood.

BLESSED ARE YOU who walk with us in public places, and ignore the

stares of strangers, for in your friendship we feel good to be

ourselves.

BLESSED ARE YOU who never bid us to "hurry up" and, more blessed,

you who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us,

for often we need time rather than help.

BLESSED ARE YOU who stand beside us as we enter new and untried

ventures, for our unsureness will be outweighed by the times when we

surprise ourselves and you.

BLESSED ARE YOU who ask for our help and realize our giftedness, for

our greatest need is to be needed.

BLESSED ARE YOU who help us with the graciousness of Christ, for

often we need the help we cannot ask for.

BLESSED ARE YOU when, by all things, you assure us that what makes

us individuals is not our particular disability or difficulty but

our beautiful God-given person-hood which no handicapping condition

can confine.

REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD for your understanding and love have

opened doors for us to enjoy life to its full and you have helped us

believe in ourselves as valued and gifted people.

Wonderful, beautiful thread!

.

These patients are only with us for a short while. But to them and their families, the experiences they have in the hospital leave impressions that last a lifetime. ALWAYS remember that.

:yeahthat: :yelclap:

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
One of my first patient's to pass away had been a nurse herself. Her daughter was unable to get a flight out in time to be at the bedside. I used a cell phone to call her daughter and then put the phone to my patient's ear so her daughter could say goodbye. Although my patient was on 100's of mcg's of Neo, maxed on dopamine and vasopressin and only had a BP of 60/30, she was responsive enough to shed tears while listening to her daughter talk (patient was vented).

I didn't get a chance to meet the daughter then, but I attended the memorial service for my patient. She had been a nurse in my rather small community for 40 years and was well loved by everyone. It turns out she was also a nursing instructor at my school a few years prior to me attending and she had trained my son's school nurse. I was fortunate enough to meet the daughter that had spoken to her mother via cell phone, we hugged and cried. I ended up saying a few words during the service.

Months go by and just a few weeks ago, I find a package in my mailbox at work. I open it up to find 2 stethoscopes and a small gold chain with a gold charm on the end that says, "RN". The card inside states that it's from the patient's daughter, the stethoscopes and necklace belonged to her mother while she had been a nurse and she felt her mother would be honored for me to have them. I was so touched that this woman remembered me while going through her mother's belongings. Although I have my own "RN" necklace very similar to the one given to me, I will keep hers and should my daughter decide to become a nurse, I will proudly hand it over on her graduation day. If not, then someday, when I am a patient and I have an incredible, caring nurse, I will pass it down along with the story of how it came to be.

Melanie = )

Thank you Melanie, awesome story!

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Working in homecare you tend to receive many gifts from homemade napkin holders, pins and blankets, to gift certificates, which I always tell them they do not have to do this! But my greatest gift is always when someone remembers me for helping them months or years later and says thank you again, perhaps it is even the spouse of a patient we had.

{{{{{{{{{SteelcityRN}}}}}}}}}}] Yes, I always liked the handmade things I'd get doing home care, that extra bit of love :)

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
One of the best thank you's I had ever received was from a patient I had who was also a nurse. Before she was discharged she said, "Thank you for your kindness and for caring about me." The fact that she was a very experienced nurse saying this really touched me because I have all of about 7 months of experience so at times I still feel kind of inadequate. I always do my best with all of my patients, and I've thought about what she said to me many times when I've been frustrated with myself for not knowing everything and not being able to work as fast as some nurses who have been around longer. I guess my patients can really tell that I care about them, and I'm still learning and getting better about my routine and that's ok. :)

Yeah, I would worry sometimes if I was "good enough" when I took care of a nurse (you bet I watch like a hawk when I am the patient!). I do know that when I am feeling the most harassed or put upon, even the smallest compliment can change my attitude for the whole day!

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
These stories are remarkable and the kind of thing that remind us it's not all about money, JACHO, and other irritants.

I've had many terrific thank yous. One from a baby! Mom pumping for all she was worth to keep the breast milk coming, and, altho baby would [occassionally] take a bottle, she refused to try to nurse. I sat her up one day in her incubator, face to face w/me, and gently scolded her: your mom is working so hard to feed you, and I expect you to start nursing, young lady! You don't have to do it all the time, just give her a little encouragement, ok?

Set mom (she had watched all this over my shoulder, sort of giggling) and baby up Kangaroo style behind the screen, went on to the next customer. I heard this little call from mom: "SHE'S DOING IT!!!" Sure enough, she's suckling like a pro.

Probably I got lucky timing wise, it was just time to do it, and she did. But mom was convinced I had "talked her into it".

Felt good, too!

Hey, why not take credit if mom is happy! (chuckle) - that was a cute story!

Specializes in ICU/CCU/MICU/SICU/CTICU.

Oh I just love these stories........

I had worked home care for many yrs and got many things from patients. One patient sent me a dozen roses the day my youngest son was born.

One was a 4 yr old who had TID antibiotics. I saw him every day, 3 times a day for 6 wks. When his treatment was over, his mom sent me a dreamcicles angel with a bandage on and a card that the little boy signed himself.

Now that I have gone back to the hospital...........

Had a pt that came in one morning in full arrest from the floor....... I had taken care of this patient for almost a month in our unit. We tried everything on her to pull her through the code. The family decided to withdraw care on her because she was so bad. The following week, I got a package at work........ It was a handblown glass bell with a rose and a hummingbird on it. The note attached said "thank you for being the rose that allowed our loved one to fly" It sits on top of my TV now.

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
...The note attached said "thank you for being the rose that allowed our loved one to fly" It sits on top of my TV now.

Oh my gosh - You make me weep (sniff) thank you ...

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I had the son of a woman i cared for during her last hours bring me an angel night light from her home the day before christmas. It was so nice. He had come across it in her home and thought of me so wanted to bring it to me. I thought that was nice.

Specializes in geriatrics.

When I worked as an aide, i took care of a very funny, gentle man, named Clayton. He always asked for money from his wife to give "his girls" a tip. He was quite alert upon admission but as time went on things changed. We were not allowed to accept gifts from patient's families or the patients without permission.

As his memory declined,we came up with the idea to give him poker chips--as he had alzheimer's and thought the chips were money. Every day he would give each of his girls a few chips as a tip of gratitude.

He died a short time later and we were all deeply saddened by the loss. Shortly after he died, we were all summoned to the conference room for a meeting. When we arrived, we were greeted by his widow. She presented all of "his girls" with a gift left to us in his will--a tip of $15.00 a piece. I still have the check..and the beautiful letter written to all of us in his own hand before he declined. I will treasure that gift for the rest of my career.

Every time I get down about the day's events, I pull that out and remind myself that I can and do make a difference.

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
I had the son of a woman i cared for during her last hours bring me an angel night light from her home the day before christmas. It was so nice. He had come across it in her home and thought of me so wanted to bring it to me. I thought that was nice.

He saw an angel, and thought of you - way cool!

Is that name of yours "meow AND smile"? or, "me (my) own smile" ?

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
She presented all of "his girls" with a gift left to us in his will--a tip of $15.00 a piece. I still have the check..and the beautiful letter written to all of us in his own hand before he declined. I will treasure that gift for the rest of my career.

Every time I get down about the day's events, I pull that out and remind myself that I can and do make a difference.

That's neat - and yes, we should remember, often, why we do it. And there are probably others who are thankful and don't think to mention it!

And yeah, there are the crabby ones, but it's fun to try to make them smile LOL

ps. My grampy's name was Clayton...

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