I saw someone make the comment "I care for my patients, not about them". So my questions are:
-Who out there views nursing as getting paid to care "for" patients?
-Who out there feels they get paid to care "about" patients?
-Who feels they do both?
-Who feels that nursing has nothing to do with getting "paid" and they care for people from their heart, not their pocketbook?
Definitions:
care FOR - provide correct professional care and fulfill the patient's needs with no emotional attachment.
care ABOUT - have a genuine heartfelt interest in the outcome of the patient, like one would for a family member or friend.
I personally do not care that much for people other than my family or friends. I just don't have any personal feelings when dealing with strangers. I don't want to seem cold, I am genuinely friendly and personable with most people I meet. I want to provide the best correct care possible and don't like seeing bad things happen to people but I also prefer to leave it at work when I walk out the door. I look at this as a professional career and not so much as a contribution to all of mankind.
- Do you think this type of attitude is a benefit or downfall?
I would think emotionally caring about people, especially in the revolving door of a hospital, might be somewhat mentally draining and stressful at times, does anyone else agree?
My LNA instructor many moons ago, 1968, told us some will tell you never get your heart involved. I tell you learn to live fully in every moment. Laugh with your patients when they laugh. Cry with them when they cry. If you try to harden yourself and hide or smother your feelings it will all to easily translate into your personal life. I am not sure if she was right, but I have followed her advice through 13 years of being an LNA and the last 22 years as an RN. I have truly cared about and for all of my patients, some more so than others and I have developed long lasting friendships with some and some family members. I have never had a family or patient complaint and I have a strong THIN thread of sanity left to me. Worked for me. I will be intersted to see how others respond.
For me, working in LTC, I can't help but to get my heart involved. If my heart isn't in it, I shouldn't be there. To me, to care for and about the pt is to make a difference in their lives. It's sad though how you can always tell who's there for the check and who's there to make a difference, who has compassion and who doesn't.
Both and at different times. There are just some patients who get to me at times and that I care for and about.
Plus, I live in a small town and work at a rural hospital. Most of the people I take care of I know.
The 15 year old kid who came in intoxicated and then was brought in by his dad later to apologize to the ER staff. I can't help but care about him and his future and say a prayer. Why is that a bad thing?
by not opening yourself up to caring for/about people outside of your own family, you are really missing something valuable in the overall human experience. i think this is true for most jobs, whether you are a nurse or a cashier or a librarian or whatever.
as for pay, i need to be compensated in my work, no matter what i do for a career. this is not in conflict with the caring component of my work.
I remember the post you're talking about. I think the poster was more referring to detachment. You have to not bring their problems home with you or care too much that it affects your life and your own personal wellbeing.
I agree with the general concensus here, I can't separate caring for them, taking care of their needs while not caring about them as well. But their stuff is their stuff and there's only so much I can do. I also have my own life to live and my own family.
. Most of my patients are newborns and most of them have parents and others to care about them. The ones who don't are the ones I really care about.
I'm the same way. It's always the saddest little unloved babies that pull at my heart strings the most. That's probably why I was drawn to the NICU in the first place.... and why I used to take home strays and try to convince my mom to let me keep them :chuckle
I'm the same way. It's always the saddest little unloved babies that pull at my heart strings the most. That's probably why I was drawn to the NICU in the first place.... and why I used to take home strays and try to convince my mom to let me keep them :chuckle
I admire nurses like you. After having my own baby, I don't think I could work in pediatrics at all. It's too heartbreaking. Thank God someone wants to do what you do.
i saw someone make the comment "i care for my patients, not about them". so my questions are:
-who out there views nursing as getting paid to care "for" patients?
-who out there feels they get paid to care "about" patients?
-who feels they do both?
-who feels that nursing has nothing to do with getting "paid" and they care for people from their heart, not their pocketbook?
definitions:
care for - provide correct professional care and fulfill the patient's needs with no emotional attachment.
care about - have a genuine heartfelt interest in the outcome of the patient, like one would for a family member or friend....................................
i care about - have a genuine heartfelt interest in the outcome of the patient like one would for a family member or friend. :)
however..........i've had patients that try my patience many times, yet i still care about them in spite of their ugly attitudes towards the nurses caring for them. some people are ugly on the inside whether they are a patient or not a patient. i cannot allow their ugly behavior to dictate to me how i am going to care about them. if jesus can love and care about me, i can at least love them with his love, and care about them with his definition of the word care. :)
Depends on who the patient is. I'm kidding. I care FOR and I care ABOUT my patients. But sometimes it's hard to do either when they are the ones who don't care about themselves or care that you're taking care of them.
witnurse
69 Posts
My LNA instructor many moons ago, 1968, told us some will tell you never get your heart involved. I tell you learn to live fully in every moment. Laugh with your patients when they laugh. Cry with them when they cry. If you try to harden yourself and hide or smother your feelings it will all to easily translate into your personal life. I am not sure if she was right, but I have followed her advice through 13 years of being an LNA and the last 22 years as an RN. I have truly cared about and for all of my patients, some more so than others and I have developed long lasting friendships with some and some family members. I have never had a family or patient complaint and I have a strong THIN thread of sanity left to me. Worked for me. I will be intersted to see how others respond.
EEYORE :)