The patients you love working with.

[dudette10]

Sometimes I feel irrationally guilty about ranting, so I usually need to do something to balance it out.

Here's my balancing act. :)

I had a patient recently with new onset a fib w/ palpitations, not controlled with meds inpatient. A candidate for and scheduled for cardioversion. Just a very nice lady. Lots of family and friends around throughout the day. She was understandably nervous, had lots of questions. I gave her written info on cardioversion, answered her questions best I could, had the residents come to bedside to answer questions, etc. The day she had cardioversion, she wasn't assigned to me, but I saw the attending looking at the monitor, and I noticed she was sinus in the 60s. No kidding, I immediately smiled and clapped my hands together, knowing that her ordeal was over, at least for the time being. I couldn't help myself, I went to her room to ask how she was. I had had a really tough shift the day she was my patient, and my visit to her was completely selfish. I needed to see someone get better, rather than worse. We talked for a minute or two, and I was smiling the rest of the day.

Sometimes patients can lift our spirits on the way to better health.

Please share your stories on those patients that put a smile on your face!

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Less than 4 kilos, intubated, sedated, npo orphans.

Awwww. Kermie, thats not fun. :-p

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

Oh yes it is.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I like patients who only wake up when you go in to give meds, do a dressing change, etc. They're pleasant, deny pain, and go back to sleep immediately after you leave.

[CompleteUnknown]

I actually like the more difficult ones, love it when I can turn them around, even if it's only a slight turn around. I think there's way too many patients that become difficult because of what we do or don't do, and often we don't even see our part in it. I understand how and why it happens and I understand that sometimes it can't be helped but I think it's such a shame.

A wise old nurse told me many years ago 'Anyone can look after the easy patient'. That's a bit simplistic I guess, but I came to understand and appreciate what she meant.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I like SMALL (as in under 5 kg) complicated cardiac defect kids whose parents have gone to bed for the night. I keep plenty busy, have time to 'fluff and buff' and know that while I'm working, mom and dad are resting up for whatever challenge the next day will bring.

[SilenceintheLibrary]

Had an 8 year old boy pt in Iraq I'll never forget. He had 1st and 2nd degree burns covering approx. 40% BSA. The whole time we were working on him, he just lay there, not making a sound or even wincing despite the pain he had to be in. After we had done all we could and were giving instructions to his family, my NCO pulled out a teddy bear to give to the boy. This kids face lit up with the hugest smile, his first facial expression since we began treatment. He was so happy over a stupid bear. Really puts things in perspective.

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I have some regulars that come through the ER drunk, and to see them on the flip side when they are finally sober is wonderful. I had one last night that had a sober streak for 2 years, and as he recognised me while I walked in the room he said "sweetheart I screwed up". My heart just broke for him and I just had to remind him that alcoholism can hit the best of people and that he was doing a great thing by coming in and asking for help. My veterans are the best for sure.

[TerpGal02, ASN]

Gotta say I love the chronic schizophrenics. They're a hoot! We just had one d/c to the state hospital today after being with us for 5 mos. Gotta admit I got q little teary as she left.

[amoLucia]

I'm an easy woman to please - I appreciate those pts who say "thank you" and "please" readily in normal course of conversation. Ones who say "oh, you're wearing your hair different tonite. Looks nice". Or "oh, that color blue on you looks good". Or "your perfume smells so nice". Working 11-7 with bad weather outside imminent, someone who says "drive careful going home" and "sleep well".

Not that I'm fishing for compliments, but these are the folks who just make simple polite social conversation. No demands; no nasty language; no snarkiness. And I'll bet they were just as gracious in life before they got to the NH.

Now some of their relatives surely fell into the short end of their familial genetic pool!!!

[rnsrgr8t]

At my old job in a pediatrician's practice, we had a lovely family that had 10 kids. These had to be the nicest, most well behaved children I have ever met. they were the most beautiful family. On of the MD's I worked with would take a morning, come in early and we could volunteer to help her (we got OT) to get all of the kids physicals done in one trip. This mom came in every year, early for the appointment time, with a HUGE spread of breakfast for all of us. I always volunteered because they were such a great family (and I got a free breakfast!). I remember this mom calling on Christmas Eve (we were open 1/2 a day) because one of the kids fell, hit their head and had a loss of consciousness. I hated having to tell this mom that they had to go to the ER on Christmas Eve, but they did. She was SO nice and took it all in stride. Cannot imagine how crazy her house must have been on Christmas Eve with ten kids but she thanked me and told me she would call the day after Christmas with an update. Cannot tell you how many nasty parents we would see on Christmas Eve. Not all practices are open and we felt that we were nice to be open for 1/2 a day. The ones that were nasty, I wanted to tell them "I could be with my family right now thank you!". This Mom I send to the ER and she is pleasant as ever.

In my current job, I enjoy the families that are grateful, polite and compliant. I also love the complicated kids that have a lot of needs and the parents that are SO worried they are "being a bother". I have had parents call me with real needs and keep apologizing! I always tell them, "If you are worried you are being a pain, you probably aren't!" The ones that abuse the system could care less!

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

My favorites are the paranoid schizophrenics ( not sure why they feel comfortable with me, but time and time again I can get them to agree to take their meds, or heck even talk when no one else can) and the ones who want to be a challenge :)