have you ever bought a meal or something else for a patient?

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Jan 9, 2003

Yeah had a child around 6 that broke his arm playing on the jungle jim at school. You could tell by the way the family looked and how the child was dressed that they didnt really have the means to buy the child a dinner. He had fallen at first recess so he missed lunch (good thing too we could take him back into surgery) I told him that if he was a "good boy" and I would get him whatever he wanted to eat after his surgery. He agreed and wanted a Happy Meal. No biggy..... He did well with his surgery and he was blocked anyway, and he thought being awake in surgery was the cooliest thing since melted butter... Pinned him, casted him and signed the cast. Sent him to Pacu to allow the block to wear off. His mother was so beside herself it was horrible. We sent a tech to the Ronnie Macs and grabbed a happy meal and a meal for the mom, and gift certs for more meals.... Returned them and fed them both. They ate in the out patient discharge room, so when he ate and all was ok they could go home. We got him a card on what a brave boy he was and inside it was gift certs for many more happy meals and other meals for them both.

We had a great day in OR that day.

Zoe

ERNurse752, RN · Jan 9, 2003

That was really nice of both of you. :)

I think there are certain situations where it's a good thing to do...makes everyone feel good in the end, and there's nothing wrong with that!

I've bought a pt a Coke and a newspaper before...nothin' major.

bagladyrn, RN · Jan 9, 2003

Of course I have, meals, sodas, etc. In one case we had a young couple who delivered twins. Previous shift passed on that the mom did not seem to have appropriate affect. Talking during the night I found that they had been told they were having twins less than a month before delivery (reservation hospital). Since the husband worked for minimum wage, the only things they had managed to buy were a second car seat and more diapers (good priorities here). A co-worker and I had a blast the next day shopping and filling a diaper bag of supplies for each of the twin girls. Finding the diaper bags on her bed made a huge difference in her "affect".

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Jan 9, 2003

Hey dont under estimate what you did for that patient.

A coke and a smile does wonders...

Zoe

Vsummer1 · Jan 9, 2003

I think you are wonderful Mark! I remember the same thing happening to me... in labor forever on pit and starving! I drooled over the hospital menu I was so hungry. Then I was too tired to eat much, but still it was the THOUGHT that counted when DH brought in some FOOD for me.

And now that you have brought this to my attention, I will remember this and hopefully be able to return the favor some day to someone less fortunate than I.

sunnygirl272 · Jan 9, 2003

we have adopted a pt and his kids for xmas every yr...i mean ,we do a "giving tree" for needy young family members of our patients...but this one family, the dad is a quad, in his 40s, will be our patient forever, literallyhe is custodial parent of 3 shcoolage kids...their mom only visits periodically...only in town periodically...only sober and sane periodically..anyhoo...my mom doesn't know who the fam is, just that we have aneedy family that is a patient..she has me take the kids for the giving tree,a dn she also doestons of foodstuff...does the kiddie-fun-junk-food too....fun easy cookiemixes,etc..the stuff that kids love, but that is expensive....she bought the dad(pt) a12pack last yr too..heeehee

i have brought stuff to home care clients before,...homemade cheesecake, homemade soup, homemade mac&cheese..if there is a special client and i know i will be doing cooking, and if i know i will have them the next day..will ask if they like whatever itis, and bring them some...

thatldo · Jan 9, 2003

You all are so sweet and caring! Might I say GOD bless you for having such tender hearts? Oops I just did, oh well. But really it is by your example of going the extra mile for your patient or any other suffering person that makes me remember there really are sympathetic people.

This was good to read as I was on a downer after reading CNN on those poor boys left in the basement, they found the woman who was supposedly taking care of them.

Since there is such a referral to cats on this board, they mentioned in the article a cat was found in the home, in perfect health. .....sick....sick....sick.

imenid37 · Jan 9, 2003

it's never crazy to be kind. my daughter has arthritis. when she was first dx'd, i stood in line FOREVER at a local grocery store pharmacy for her meds. i had just gotten paid and brought $120.00 cash w/ me to the store thinking i could pick up groceries too. unfortunately, it was a few dollars short for the rx's. so after waiting one helluva long time, i said to the cashier, sorry i don't have enough money, i'll have to come back. an older african american man tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a ten dollar bill. will this bring you up to what you need? you've been waiting a long time for those medicines. i was stunned. well yes that's more than enough. i think i only needed about $5.00. i told the man i'd take his address and pay him back. he said no. people have been very kind to me in the past so i'm happy i can help you out. wasn't that sweet? i'll never forget his kindness. my daughter was really sick and i was really down at that point. he was a real "angel" to me. maybe your kindness will inspire this girl to pass her kindness on to others when she is able. god bless all of you.

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Jan 9, 2003

I was told as a child that kindness was contageous...... In some aspects of that I feel that it is true. I was also told as a child that for every good deed a bad thing is removed from your judgement day board(Ok I had a weird family but it worked) So I think for every kind thing I do out of my heart for someone less fortunate than myself I remove something stupid I did in my life that I did against another person. Im sure I will be whittling away at this for years because I was a total B**** before I became someone with a brain that used it.

Oprah did a show on the random acts of kindness.... If one person did one act a day just imagine what a wonderful world it would be.

Zoe

Cheerio · Jan 9, 2003

I take all kinds of snacks for my clients. Our hospital doesn't have much food after about 9pm, so I keep all kinds of things in my bag for them to snack on after they've given birth.

If I'm running out to eat, I usually pick something up for the Daddy or support person.

I've given clients some of my baby stuff that I'm not using anymore, and they've really appreciated it.

cindyln · Jan 9, 2003

I had a patient who was carrying twins. Well she lost 1 twin at 20 weeks and was put on bedrest to try and carry the remaining twin. Well after about a week of being in the hospital she was getting pretty bored and tired of it. I brought her in some Bath & body works goodies. Gave her a good back rub that night. BOy did she smell good and felt so much better. I am remembered every christmas by this woman now. Made me feel good too.