About 4 years ago, I started as a part time nurse in a LTC/Rehab facility. Since then, I’ve moved on to full time nurse, interim nurse manager and now, full time manager. Over the past 4 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with one lady that I’ve always had a connection with. I used to spend 2 hours getting her to bed, including giving her a nightly foot soak. On Sundays, we used to pray together with Eucharistic Minister that would visit our facility.
Because of the COVID pandemic, they have rearranged patients. Thus, she is no longer assigned to my case load as she is now on another unit. The other staff members and manager do not give her the same amount of attention. She will only eat and drink for me, and is now on hospice. She has no family in her life. Now that she’s dying, I want to spend as much time with her as possible regardless of whose patient she is. I try and always plan my day to start and end with a visit to her, along with four other visits. Because of my dedication to her care, I find myself getting irritated when patients on my unit take up time I’d rather be with her. These patients have family, are not dying and are overall annoying. I even got involved with repositioning the resident and taking her vital signs when a care conference for a different patient was occurring. However, if I do not make regular visits to this lady, she won’t get the attention she needs.
I am just wondering if 6 visits a day is too many? Also, anyone else experience increased dedication when they find out a favorite one is dying?
