On the positive side . . .

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Cardiac, ICU, ER.

It seem alot of posts are rants and we all need to vent but let's share a good story that impacted us or a time when we felt we made a difference. Something inspirational!:redpinkhe

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One of my patients sent cookies to say thank you! :D

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

I'll never forget the letter the mother of a 13 year old OD sent us. It was a harrowing code but we saved the pts. life.

Now the patient has moved on, is doing great, making good grades in school and is looking forward to college. :yeah:

Patient's mother sends us a card every Christmas, each card inscribed with the names of the staff who helped her child saying "if it weren't for you angels, my baby wouldn't be alive today. Thank you for all that you do."

One of my patients sent cookies to say thank you! :D
Not to rain on your parade - but always be careful of eating foodstuff sent in by patients/family. Not pretty when 80% of your staff call out for "GI upset".... :)

cheers,

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Never accept homemade baked goods!! But good ol' doughnuts, gourmet cookies, etc. !!!

Also, be certain to SHARE with all of the shifts!

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My personal favorite. Young pregnant gal contracts Guillian-Barre, ends up with paralysis to her ears -- worst case I ever saw. Vent and TPN and the whole 9 yards in our Neuro ICU. Part of assessment was documenting fetal heart tones. Whenever I found them I'd put the earpieces of the steth into HER ears so she could listen to her baby. Her face lit up like sunrise when she heard that. She recovered completely and about a year later actually walked into our unit carrying her little girl. We all got hugs and there wasn't a dry eye in the place!

PapawJohn

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This is a great post.....

I work ICU and families are always bringing us food, coffee and things.... This past weekend since we all had to stay for the hurricane... a family member ordered I kid you not like 10 boxes of pizza for the unit!! he wasn't even there that day he ordered them from home and had them sent to the hospital!

One pt though will always stay with me... she was with us for like ten months... complications of crohns disease I think... it was a roller coaster with her. She would be really bad...and get better to point she is awake alert and talking...then go down hill again....

throughout it all her Fiance' (high school sweetheart. they lost touch and found each other again years later) was with her EVER DAY ALL DAY... GREAT guy

And then the day came when she passed... I worked that day and I cannot remember every crying so hard for a pt..and their family....

A bunch of us went to the wake.

I still talk to her fiance' from time to time as we are friends on facebook :-)

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Years ago when I was an ICU pt d/t required intubation for status asthmaticus with respiratory failure, my mom & I sent trays of mini pastries from a well known local bakery. My mom handled it, she remembered when I worked nights in the ER we often got left out as most deliveries were during the day. So she made my father do a 9PM drop off of gifts (I think the security guard was shocked and didn't know what to do, but I had extended visiting hours for the room I was in.) Mom made sure the two teams who did so much each got recognized--ICU RN's & respiratory therapy team day & night.

My patient story. I worked volunteer EMS & as a tech in the ER at the time. Unfortunately I had a call for a teenage overdose, it was one of my little sister's classmates/good friends. I later was assigned to the area of the ER where she was held pending a bed upstairs. I could tell by the look in her eyes she was a bit horrified when she recognized me. (At 17 she thought I would run right home and tell my sister what I knew/saw) I simply said not to worry, medical care is confidential though we may have to let her mom (who was sitting at bedside) know what's going on. She smiled with relief. I helped keep her updated as to what was going to happen next, from the charcoal down the NG tube to the monitors, ICU admit, and the psych counselors that would be later coming to speak with her. Once she left the ER, I lost track (as appropriate.)

She was out a few days, my sister had asked (not knowing that I may have taken care of her) what could keep someone in the hospital so long and I gave her some general answers (since she didn't know the diagnosis just that she was sick & in the hospital and couldn't have visitors) and silly ones.

Flash forward about 6 months, my little sister's high school graduation. I was walking with her after the ceremony and we ran into some friends. I went to step aside. This girl gave me the biggest hug and thanked me for everything. She whispered that she was able to work a lot out and now was ready to move on to college. Her mom smiled and nodded in the background. No words were needed. My sister gave me a big hug too. (She still to this day has no idea and the moment had just become a big hug fest after a big milestone was met.)

I'd have my mom's friends as patients in the ER, of course I never told my mom. But I always knew who they were by the comments on the survey that included not only my full name, but it was spelled correctly. (Most surveys would say tech with long hair working in evening). Always with huge kudos for care and confidentiality.

Best. thanks. ever. Had a 911 call for a finger amputation. (Back when Rescue 911 with William Shatner was on all the time.) The 9 or 10 year old not only called 911 & his parents but had the amputated digit wrapped in sterile, moist gauze in a plastic bag placed in a second plastic bag of ice. It as a special request transport to a hospital the next town over, but we were bored and at the end of our shift. I was impressed at the child's maturity and calm. He told bad jokes about missing fingers on the way to the hospital. And more impressed that the hand surgeon (called by the family's HMO) was waiting at the ER for patient to arrive. A couple of months later I was doing "standby" at a local school event. My partner was a firefighter. A bunch of boys came over and were talking to my partner and how cool he was since he was a young firefighter and a hero and such. A voice in the back of the group said, nah she's cooler (pointing to me) she helped save my finger. There he was big smile, bandage on & pin in place visible from the open end, with a nice pink finger that was previously in a zipper bag last time I saw it. He mentioned that since we did everything right that the hand surgeon was rather excited that it would most likely be a successful reimplantation with high chance for full function return due to the rapid first aid and transport. Kind of nice since we almost NEVER saw the end result of our pre-hospital care and transport, and not such a positive one where we apparently made such a difference.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Once upon a time.......many years ago. I took care of a "Class IV" cardiac....a cardiac cripple. He was very young and these days would probably be on a transplant list with a LVAD. He had a little girl, his only child. I took care of Mr.:jester: for many years as I watched his daughter grow. I used to get in trouble for sitting on the floor and talking to his daughter as everyone talked around her and above her while she sat in the hallway and cried...one day her Daddy died :crying2:.

Many years go by and she grew up to be a nurse. A very good nurse indeed! One day we, in a rare moment of sanity, were sitting around and talking. The carrier came through and gave me a letter.....a personal one.:confused: I opened the letter and read about another little girl who became a nurse. SHe told me she became a nurse because of me and aspired to be just like me. Her father too had passed away after a massive MI and CABG that failed to save his life after many weeks of caring and prayer. The beautiful young woman (by her picture in her cap and gown) had become a nurse because of me and specialized in Pediactric Critical Care/hematology-Oncology...:uhoh3:.

As I sat there and cried, I was awe struck I could have that kind of impact......When my little friend from many years ago reached over and held my hand and told me.......

"didn't you know you were the reason I became a nurse.....I never forgot how good you were to me when no one else took the time........you sat down and held me and explained why my Daddy had to leave.....I knew then I wanted to grow up and be just like you........"

I told her I had no idea and I hugged her hard......stunned I had made such an impact with such a simple gesture so many years ago on two very young lives...:heartbeat:heartbeat

Many years later as my Mother in law was rushed to the hospital having a massive MI....When I arrived from out of town.....I watched my little friend, who had now grown to be a very amazing nurse, run the code with skill and knowledge, confidence and assurance that she's doing the right thing....I was awe struck and how wonderful she had become, and I knew.........

She turned around and saw me and smiled and it was then I knew. I heard her father wisper in my ear, "tell my Jilly bean I'm so very pround of her today and the woman she's became to be.....remind her I'm never far away" and I said......Jilly bean your Daddy says he's so proud of you today..and remember he's never far away......life had come full circle..........:redbeathe

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A resident's family brought the evening shift Krispy Kreme donuts because they were grateful for the care we had provided. I don't do donuts but my coworkers were ecstatic. :p

Families are always bringing us store bought food. I think it may have something to do with the culture here; food unites people.

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I'm starting in an ICU and I love how every one of my coworkers welcome me! They give me so much reading material & resources and motivate me to read up, study, and go back to school for an advanced degree. I'm overwhelmed but mostly I am very grateful that they want me to succeed. As one of them says: "I want you to fly...." !!!

I can't wait to precept!

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Specializes in LTC.
Once upon a time.......many years ago. I took care of a "Class IV" cardiac....a cardiac cripple. He was very young and these days would probably be on a transplant list with a LVAD. He had a little girl, his only child. I took care of Mr.:jester: for many years as I watched his daughter grow. I used to get in trouble for sitting on the floor and talking to his daughter as everyone talked around her and above her while she sat in the hallway and cried...one day her Daddy died :crying2:.

Many years go by and she grew up to be a nurse. A very good nurse indeed! One day we, in a rare moment of sanity, were sitting around and talking. The carrier came through and gave me a letter.....a personal one.:confused: I opened the letter and read about another little girl who became a nurse. SHe told me she became a nurse because of me and aspired to be just like me. Her father too had passed away after a massive MI and CABG that failed to save his life after many weeks of caring and prayer. The beautiful young woman (by her picture in her cap and gown) had become a nurse because of me and specialized in Pediactric Critical Care/hematology-Oncology...:uhoh3:.

As I sat there and cried, I was awe struck I could have that kind of impact......When my little friend from many years ago reached over and held my hand and told me.......

"didn't you know you were the reason I became a nurse.....I never forgot how good you were to me when no one else took the time........you sat down and held me and explained why my Daddy had to leave.....I knew then I wanted to grow up and be just like you........"

I told her I had no idea and I hugged her hard......stunned I had made such an impact with such a simple gesture so many years ago on two very young lives...:heartbeat:heartbeat

Many years later as my Mother in law was rushed to the hospital having a massive MI....When I arrived from out of town.....I watched my little friend, who had now grown to be a very amazing nurse, run the code with skill and knowledge, confidence and assurance that she's doing the right thing....I was awe struck and how wonderful she had become, and I knew.........

She turned around and saw me and smiled and it was then I knew. I heard her father wisper in my ear, "tell my Jilly bean I'm so very pround of her today and the woman she's became to be.....remind her I'm never far away" and I said......Jilly bean your Daddy says he's so proud of you today..and remember he's never far away......life had come full circle..........:redbeathe

How beautiful! You've got me shedding some tears over here :crying2:

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Specializes in OB-L&D, Post partum, Nursery.

Worked a neonate code at a term, scheduled C/S, anomalies not conducive to extrauterine life, very traumatic for the parents and staff. A few years later the parents returned and had a beautiful baby, a healing experience for all. It meant so much to know they wanted to share that joyous experience with us after the previous tragedy.

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