Opportunities to connect with patients

Gompers, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2004

Also, are there specialities that are more conducive to those "patient connections"??

You'll definitely want to stay away from the emergency room and adult medical/surgical floors. In ER, you're never going to have enough time with the patient to really form a connection, and in med/surg, you'll be too busy! Either long term care (like nursing homes) or intensive care units might be better for you. In LTC, you'll have the same patients/residents for a long time, so every day you're there you can work on those connections. In ICU, you'll only have one or two patients and can spend much more time with them and their families (if they're not crashing on you, that is). Home health care might be a good idea for you too, but you'll need at least a year or two of hospital nursing before being eligible to enter that field.

I personally work NICU (newborn/neonatal ICU) and am very emotionally satisfied with my job. It's almost impossible NOT to form a bond with a baby after taking care of him or her for weeks, if not months. You connect with their families as well, and spend a lot of time being a counselor to them. This is true of any ICU setting, I believe, but I suppose with babies it's just natural to bond almost immediately to them.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2004

I've been reading the posts, and it seems that a typical day as a nurse is very busy and with short staffing you have minimal time with each patient. With that being said, I was wondering if there are still those "moments" where you get to have those connections with patients.
I'd like to hear some stories...

One more thing - if you haven't read the book "Chicken Soup for the Nurses Soul" yet, please do! In it, you'll find stories from all kinds of nurses describing the amazing emotional side of this profession. I think it's exactly what you're looking for! I'm TOTALLY not a "Chicken Soup" kind of a girl, but I've read that book at least five times and it's just beautiful.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2004

It's so hard because in the back of your mind you're thinking "I don't have time for this" or "can I come back later after I fiish my charting?".

I try to remember the human being I'm caring for and not be all technical and talk to them. I'm all about building a good rapport, but I confess to not having many of those "moments" lately.

The best one was years ago I spent a long time talking to an 80 something year old lady, who was the most spiritually refined Christian I've ever met. So secure in her faith and where she soon would be going. Many spiritual people talk of assurance where life takes them at death. But this woman was feeling it, knowing it, and facing the end of life with such peace and no fear. I haven't forgotten her.

leslie :-D · Aug 17, 2004

i think that the referral gompers gave you for the chicken soup book, is perfect.

any sort of icu setting, long term care, hospice and rehab would all give you opportunities to get to know the patient well.

if it's an important part of your nursing goals, then you will make it a priority, no matter where you end up.

wishing you well,

leslie

LuLuinNC · Aug 18, 2004

One more thing - if you haven't read the book "Chicken Soup for the Nurses Soul" yet, please do! In it, you'll find stories from all kinds of nurses describing the amazing emotional side of this profession. I think it's exactly what you're looking for! I'm TOTALLY not a "Chicken Soup" kind of a girl, but I've read that book at least five times and it's just beautiful.

You know, I bought that book and it was because of the stories that I read in it that made me want to be a nurse.. but I just wanted confirmation from others in the forum that those stories ACTUALLY happen!!!

Energizer Bunny · Aug 18, 2004

I would think that OB would be another area where you can really get to know the family and be involved. I'm hoping so, anyways.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Aug 18, 2004

In acute med/surg, it is difficult to find time to have those "meaningful" moments with patients. When I did have them I felt very fulfilled. When I didn't get the chance, I actually felt like %$#% because I thought, what's the point of me being here? After all, my nursing instructor had once said that 'nursing is more than tasks since a monkey can hang an IV'. (I disagree) But alas, those special moments do make you feel like a nurse.

There are those times when a patients is acting anxious and while you could leave, you just take a few moments, pull up a chair and draw them out. Often this is all it takes for them to reveal how scared how they are and worried they were after a procedure. While you're only there a few moments, you have allowed them to open up even if just for a moment to a person who is sitting down looking at them and attentively listening. Sometimes, our interventions are as simple or as powerful as these.