Please share something GOOD that happened at work!

[RNsRWe]

Maybe as a tag-along to the thread that has people in a twist over whether or not nurses are being positive enough, or too negative, or whatever, we could try for something a little upbeat.

What has happened to you (or someone else?) at work that made you GLAD that you were there that day? Did you feel you made a difference?

I recently had a patient who had diverticulitis and was facing a bowel resection and somehow no one had either explained to him what to expect or he hadn't been able to hear it. At any rate, when I got him he was scared to death what was going to happen to him, whether he'd be able to eat/poop normally again. Somehow he got the idea he'd need a colostomy, and that freaked him out unnecessarily.

I spent all of fifteen minutes with him initially and watched this fella change from freaked out to calm, once he realized the why's and wherefore's. I then checked on him and let him talk when he needed. I got him after surgery, too, and while most of the time people never even give a cursory "thank you", this man made me feel like a million bucks! He thanked me for taking the time to talk to him and apologized for being "a baby". Oh, man, he wasn't a baby at all, just a human being who needed another human (who happened to have a medical clue) to calm him down.

I felt proud to be a nurse when I left for a couple of days :)

[walkingon, CNA, LPN]

I am only a brand-new aide, and this is nowhere near as dramatic as many of yours, but when I was in clinicals at a LTCF I was feeding a confused woman who slept and mumbled unintelligibly through her mechanical soft lunch. I was about to give up feeding her when another aide walked by and asked if I was a student at *** program. I said "Yes, and I hope to be a nurse someday." The sleepy resident piped up, very clearly, "You'll make a wonderful nurse." My very first warm fuzzy! :heartbeat

[goats'r'us, ASN, RN]

i learned how to scrub for a hemiarthroplasty today, after only a few weeks in ortho theatres. before that all i could do was assist in removing lesions.

[knockandhello]

I received a card from a family whose relative had passed, thanking me my help kindness and compassion as it was unexpected.I keep it with me at work to remind me that people do appreciate what we do even if it isnt shown.

[lilbabynurse]

I just became a member just to reply to this thread! haha

here is my little story

I was working nights on a BUSY GI oncology medsurg floor. one of my 24 patients was terminal and was refusing treatment and was septic and in isolation. she and drains and tubes and lines comming from everywhere. And she couldnt sleep... (or "wouldnt" sleep as everybody else on that floor was saying.) She was very anxious - she kept rocking back and forth in her bed saying "oh my, oh goodness, oh it hurts... youre sick of me... im going to die..." everybody just ignored her. needless to say, "everybody's" callous insensitivity was really PISSING me off.

So i went into the room and held her hand, and said in my attempt to calm her "can you please tell me where it hurt" and she said everywhere, but touched her thighs, which where pulled towards her chest.

i said "put youre legs straigt for me" and masagged her thighs. I didnt think anything of it, i thought it wasnt the spot that hurt. Then in the morning, i went back to check on her, and she said "elise... can you do that thing to my back... do that thing to my back..." i eventually figured out she meant she wanted a back rub.

So i rubbed her back for five minutes, and she fell asleep!! for the first time that night. For the next two nights, i checked on her, and rubbed her back for her, and she would sleep for like a half hour (which i the longest she ended up getting at all)

I dont care if everyone on the unit rolled their eyes at me... the would say "what the hell are you doing, shes terminal just leave her alone" or "shes confused, she doesnt know whats going on!" I know i helped her, and probably gave her the last back massage she ever had, and helped her sleep a little.

The night before she was being transferred, she said "elise, i dont want to leave" and i said "you dont like it here, remember, you can go home and be with you're daughter and youre kitten!" she said "... but ill never see you again, and that makes me sad, because you have a very good heart"

*tear*

i saw her obit in the paper just four days later, which i weird because i never even read the paper...

anyways, it just goes to show that even if you think you arent doing any good, youre probably doing more good that you could *ever* imagine. I LOVE NURSING!!

[ta2wndrnrs]

Here's what happened at work that was good today....My nursing students brought me homemade cookies...just because. Yay cookies!:icon_hug:

[dolldoctor]

I am only a brand-new aide, and this is nowhere near as dramatic as many of yours, but when I was in clinicals at a LTCF I was feeding a confused woman who slept and mumbled unintelligibly through her mechanical soft lunch. I was about to give up feeding her when another aide walked by and asked if I was a student at *** program. I said "Yes, and I hope to be a nurse someday." The sleepy resident piped up, very clearly, "You'll make a wonderful nurse." My very first warm fuzzy! :heartbeat

Congratulations for being a fine, caring and compassionate person! My patients in LTC knew about my goal to become a nurse too and they constantly encouraged me. You will never have any regrets for caring for your patients with kindness. "For the grace of God go I". Everyone you take care of could be you someday and in a time in our world where so many don't know what the "Golden Rule" is - (treat others like you would like to be treated), you know doubt are a breath of fresh air!:1luvu:

[EmmaG, RN]

A couple of years ago, I was in line at the DMV to get a copy of a title. One of the women behind the counter kept looking over at me, and finally came over to me. She said, "You're Emma, aren't you? And you work on the oncology unit at ____?" I said yes, but try as I might, I didn't recognize her.

She went on to say I'd taken care of her mom when she'd died 10 years before, and how grateful she was for my care, and how much I'd helped her and her sister get through that time, listening to their fears, explaining to them what to expect and so on. She said she'd never forget me for that, and had thought of me often over the years. She gave me a tearful hug before I left.

I was stunned and nearly speechless. I'd been skirting on edge of a burn out, and this rocked me to my core. Even more so, because at the time I had cared for her mother, I was dealing with the death of my own Mom due to metastatic cancer. Looking back at that time, I have often wondered if I was even very effective in my job, as I was absorbed in my own grief.

This is why I could never do anything else with my life ....

[EmmaG, RN]

Great stories.

[staceytania]

Im an assistant in nursing at an age care facility upgrading my qualifications to endorsed enrolled nursing. Recently I completed part of my placement at a hospital. Working in age care can be extremely taxing on you both physically and mentally and I was looking forward to working outside the nursing field that I was use to. I gained alot of clinical experience which is missing from my current employment.

I returned to the nursing home where I work and gave everyone the biggest hug.......when asked by one of the residence why I was so happy to be back I said........... the hospital placement was great and I learnt alot but I prefer where I work as you have time to build up rapport and relationships with our residents and their families, something that was missing when I was at the hospital. When things were quiet I would scoot around chatting to those patients that were up and didnt have visitors. The simple banter made the day go faster and taught me alot about different people........and this is something you cannot be taught.

I love working in age care and I have held the hand of many of residents that have finally given up or have just decided it was time for them to go ...... it is a sad experience but I have always been thankful to have grace their paths and I only hope that I have given them something ..... even if was only for a short time.

[staceytania]

Im an assistant in nursing at an age care facility upgrading my qualifications to endorsed enrolled nursing. Recently I completed part of my placement at a hospital. Working in age care can be extremely taxing on you both physically and mentally and I was looking forward to working outside the nursing field that I was use to. I gained alot of clinical experience which is missing from my current employment.

I returned to the nursing home where I work and gave everyone the biggest hug.......when asked by one of the residence why I was so happy to be back I said........... the hospital placement was great and I learnt alot but I prefer where I work as you have time to build up rapport and relationships with our residents and their families, something that was missing when I was at the hospital. When things were quiet I would scoot around chatting to those patients that were up and didnt have visitors. The simple banter made the day go faster and taught me alot about different people........and this is something you cannot be taught.

I love working in age care and I have held the hand of many of residents that have finally given up or have just decided it was time for them to go ...... it is a sad experience but I have always been thankful to have grace their paths and I only hope that I have given them something ..... even if was only for a short time.

[staceytania]

Im an assistant in nursing at an age care facility upgrading my qualifications to endorsed enrolled nursing. Recently I completed part of my placement at a hospital. Working in age care can be extremely taxing on you both physically and mentally and I was looking forward to working outside the nursing field that I was use to. I gained alot of clinical experience which is missing from my current employment.

I returned to the nursing home where I work and gave everyone the biggest hug.......when asked by one of the residence why I was so happy to be back I said........... the hospital placement was great and I learnt alot but I prefer where I work as you have time to build up rapport and relationships with our residents and their families, something that was missing when I was at the hospital. When things were quiet I would scoot around chatting to those patients that were up and didnt have visitors. The simple banter made the day go faster and taught me alot about different people........and this is something you cannot be taught.

I love working in age care and I have held the hand of many of residents that have finally given up or have just decided it was time for them to go ...... it is a sad experience but I have always been thankful to have grace their paths and I only hope that I have given them something ..... even if was only for a short time.

:balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons::balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons:

[bigred]

You know, I had a similar experience when I was a student, second semester, and it has never left me. I was observing a surgeon putting in a triple lumen line, along with a few other students, and this poor thing in the bed was terrified. When he started the procedure (testing and joking with us, totally ignoring her), there were silent tears coming down her face. I immediately grabbed her hand, told her how brave I thought she was. The young woman squeezed harder than I thought possible (taught me to ONLY give TWO FINGERS, lol, but I digress). She cried and squeezed, and kept turning her eyes to me. All she could see was eyes, since I had a mask on. I dabbed her face with tissues, and she got through it. She didn't let go of my hand until everyone else had left the room....I stayed with her while she 'came down'. And I swear I will never forget what she told me: "I just kept looking at you, you were the only one I saw, and you were the only one who seemed to see ME. Thank you."

If that doesn't make you sure you want to be a nurse, I don't know what will.

The 2 previous stories take me back to my student nursing days. I was in the consolodation part; what I called the 'home stretch'. I was on a very busy surgical floor of a big hospital. Unfortunately, many of the nurses on that floor were past burn-out. My pts. often commented on that. I had a full pt. load and just never stopped. (In 30 years, nothing has changed!). Anyway, I had this pt. who may have been in her early 30's. She had sinus surgery and was a few days post-op. It was almost the end of the shift and I went in to check on her. Before I left, she took my hand, and I will never forget what she said:"Don't ever change. Stay the caring gentle nurse that you are right now." I told her I would do my best. Certainly over the years I have changed. I have to change to meet the ever changing needs of nursing. Thank God I haven't stopped caring. I know that hasn't changed. I guess that means I have kept my promise to that wonderful lady.

What a wonderful topic this is. I love positive stuff!