In nursing we all do things that we look back on and we are proud of. Even though we do it we don't always acknowledge it. So I double dawg dare you, just HOW have you made a difference in a single person.
Let's face it, it is always easy to point to another and show what they have done, now I challenge you to show what YOU have done. Think long and hard about this. It could be a smile at the right time, holding someone's hand at the right time, breaking rules such as taking your mask off in OR to show your smile to a pt too fearful to undergo surgery before they are put under.
I think those of us in nursing need to respect what we have done vs. what we were unable to do. So.. what is yours?
I have a favorite. It was H. I referred to him earlier in a different thread.
H was 90+ years old and a hermit. He looked like what Jesus Christ would look like at 90+ years old... long beard, long hair, the works.
I used to try to get him to come out of him room and join in fun with other LTC pts. He refused. So I would go to his room and talk. Verrry little talking with Herbie. There, I wrote his name. He deserves nothing less.
My all time favorite thing to do was to get my old folks to tell me what life was like when they were my age. Considering I was about 25 and Herbie was about 92, we had a lot to discuss.
I would ask him questions. Example, during the holidays I would ask what a Christmas tree looked like when he was my age. He would explain that his family didn't have money. They would use food (popcorn, fruits, etc.) to decorate their tree. It was amazingly hard to get Herbie to talk, but when he did he was very interesting.
In our main building we would have a variety of trees during Christmas. I tried to cover everyone's beliefs and traditions.
One year I paid especially close attention to what Herbie explained his trees. Herbie was kind of cold, standoffish, not really wanting to elaborate on anything. It was clear he was merely annoyed at amusing me with his stories. Well, I did pay attention and I listened to exactly what he told me.
One of our trees was exactly as I pictured Herbies trees from when he was younger. Fruit and popcorn for decorations, candles for lights. Paper people cut out in place of tinsel. A hand-drawn angel to top the tree. (That was beyond my skills, had an artist patient do that one for me.)
I finally had the tree decorated JUST as I understood Herbie to describe it. It was about 10PM. I went to Herbie's room. I woke him from a deep sleep. I apologized, yet begged him to come with me. Most annoyed he did as I requested. I took him to the main building where everyone else was asleep and we had the room to ourselves. I had an employee whose ONLY job that night was to watch that ONE tree. It had live candles lighting it. ALL that employee had to do that night was to watch the candles so the tree didn't catch on fire. (Needless to say, I had a LOT of offers for that job that night!)
Hand in hand, Herbie and I walked into the main dining area where we had several trees, including HIS tree.
We sat down and he looked at that tree in awe. He just stared at that tree, I quickly realized I did a good job. It was as he described. I could easily tell just by watching Herbie.
We sat there for the longest time just watching the tree. Without moving his eyes from the tree he put his hand on mine and said, "Thank you, child."
That still makes me feel good to this day. In nursing we all get caught up in the pressures of the job. But we all do good things for people too. It might be simple or it might be elaborate. Or... it might be inbetween.
I think during a time of stress (our very jobs!) we need to focus on what we do quite well.
So, what IS it you do well? What have you done or what do you want to do to impove how you feel about your patients, or more important, how you feel about yourselves?
Com'on... I risked telling my story. The least you can do is to not leave me hanging. What have you done or what do you want to do?
Mods... I *need* this thread for reasons I'd prefer not to go into detail. Please don't move it. I need to hear from my fellow medical peers.
CathRN
144 Posts
Okay, I was just going to read these wonderful posts and not post myself, but then, I had to.
I was a new nurse, just off of orientation. I worked the neurology floor, oncology was just around the corner and we got a lot of overflow from oncology.
She was a very crusty little old lady, most of the staff didn't like her and would refuse to take her. Well, me being new and all I got her. I fell for her almost immediately! She was dying and knew it, knew that there wasn't anything else that could be done and she didn't want anything done besides pain control. She had a NGT to low suction and of course NPO, IV fluid along with her morphine drip. She kept her eyes closed almost all of the time and when I would walk into her room, she would say "my angel is here." The first time she said that I asked her where, and she said she just walked in to take care of me. I usually took my charts into her room and just sit and talk with her while charting, I really enjoyed this lady. This went on for a few weeks and her sons finally made it in from out of state and they decided to place her in hospice. When I came back on from three days off, I found out that she had been transferred to the hospice unit and wasn't expected to make it through the day.
I asked my nurse manager if I could please go see her, I would go on my breaks. She called the nurse manager of hospice and they agreed that I could see her on my breaks only since I wasn't family. They also warned me that she probably wouldn't respond, she hasn't talked at all since they moved her. I walked into her hospice room, her sons and their wives were there and clear as a bell "my angel is here" was heard. I teared up some, and her sons asked me my name and where I knew her from and I told them, and asked if I could visit with her. I sat by her bed for my lunch break and then came back after work and talked with her. She passed during the night that night. The next day her sons showed up on my floor with a small crystal angel pin that I still wear on my badge, they told me that she had an angel taking care of her and described the pin to them that they were to bring to me, and when asked where I got it, I just smile and say "my angel gave it to me". I got out of neuro and now work peds.