High & Low

bradons · Feb 18, 2013

Highlight so far: While walking back from the far end of the unit I heard the telemetry monitor at the desk starting ringing emergency. Went in an found my pt unresponsive and in vfib. Hooked the crash cart up and gave a shock within 35 seconds. Still see the pt driving around town every now and then. Everything her and her son see me they still thank me.

Lowlight so far: Losing my cool with co-workers over subpar care and knowledge. Should have taken a different approach.

allnurses Guide · Feb 18, 2013

I think the highlight of my career has actually been during my current job.

While this job unfortunately has many negatives.. a major positive has been

just hearing from the residents every night, who shower me with appreciation

just for my being there, and for the things that I do for them. I

have never felt so appreciated and loved by my patients/residents

as I do right now in this job, and I do love it.

My job has had way too many lows to count, but the SADDEST moment

had to be about three years into my career. I was working on an oncology

floor. A husband and father was dying of cancer; he had become blind and

confused. He was only in his 40's and had two very young daughters; one

was about nine and one was about two. He was on our floor for quite some

time; the staff really got to know the family, and sat out many children's

books in the waiting room just for the little girls to read. I was not there

when the man finally passed. I'm rather glad that I was not there; just

hearing what happened as he was dying was heart wrenching. The nine

year old girl was screaming, "Daddy, please don't die!!!".

After he was gone, all of the kids' books disappeared.