Everyone LOVES a "feel-good" moment!

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    Joe V
    Editorial Team / Admin

    Joe V

    7 Articles; 2,555 Posts

Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

The Feeling You Get When You Successfully Start An IV

Nurses have ups and downs during their shifts, many times feeling the downs outweigh the ups. Isn't it great to be recognized for our successes - no matter how small?

Share your feel good (or bad) moments...

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I had a patient a few times over the past couple years who was a TBI patient who would get VERY sick with aspiration pneumonia. When he was well he had a wicked sense of humor and a smile that would light up a room. When I was his nurse in April, as I always did, I told him my goal for night was to get him comfortable enough to sleep a while and hopefully to smile or laugh just once. Well, this last night I didn't think it was going to happen- it's not as if I spend the night forcing corny jokes or fake situations. He wasn't comfortable and was getting frustrated with the whole prolonged hospitalization. In the morning I was talking with him and the oncoming nurse at bedside and for the life of me I can't remember what I said, but he broke out in a smile and a laugh that just about burst my heart. Even the nurse I handed off to said it made her happier to start the shift. I told him that smile made my day. He gave me a thumbs up and I told him to have a good day. He shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and that was the last time I saw him, he died a few days later. I think of his smile and laugh sometimes and hope he's at peace. 

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I just finished orienting a new grad RN for 12 weeks.  She was on her own was nervous about giving report to a very particularly night nurse that grills you about everything.  She gave her report and he said "wow, you gave such a great report, who oriented you?".

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

This happened to a colleague of mine.

She was assisting a foreign trained doctor who spoke with a heavy accent to place a femoral line on an obese male. He kept yelling at her to "Hold up the member !!"

Which she did.

But he meant pannus.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

A sweet elderly patient of mine softly patted the hand of her young, male doctor.

"My, my," she said, smiling sweetly up at him. "You are going to make such a good nurse someday."

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