I have a new perspective after the past few days!!

[scrlet]

I am a new nursing student, but not new to the medical field as far as work goes. I have had my own surgeries and babies, so I have had my share of nurses taking care of me, as we all have. In school they always say things like "think about if that was your loved one, how would you want them treated?" Man did that sure hit home these past couple days. My sister got into an accident and had to get, what they are telling me is major back surgery. I have been sitting next to her bed since she reached the ER Sunday evening and still now after just getting her surgery. She has been in the worst pain through it all and let me tell you, the kind nurses, even though they may not be able to take her pain away were at least able to make her feel better. I have seen one end of the spectrum to the other of nurses since this has happened and I know it gets crazy busy, and miserable and there are not nice pts as well. But pts are people not just work. This has been a valuble lesson to me for next time I step foot in clinical, to think about how it is I'm coming off to my patients and 2 words of kindness can make a huge difference for someone, cuz I know it did for my sister.

[phuretrotr]

I have seen one end of the spectrum to the other of nurses since this has happened and I know it gets crazy busy, and miserable and there are not nice pts as well. But pts are people not just work.

RIGHT?!

My mom was a patient just a few months ago, and let me tell you, there is a difference between being informative and letting the patient know what to expect versus scaring the kitty litter out of them.

One example I had was when my mom asked one of the nurses about pain and the nurses went on and on about how bad it was going to be and used words like "ripping, tearing, stabbing" the night before surgery. She could have just said, Are you worried about having pain? Well, you will have pain but we will control it with medications.

The nurse wasn't particularly "bad", just really shows how much therapeutic communication with a patient makes a difference.