patients can give the best medicine! or why we love nursing

Rapheal · May 20, 2004

Here's one. Very cranky bitter old man in for anemia, UTI, pneumonia. Hx of fall 2 days prior. HATES being in the hospital. Hates nurses. Every time I try to help him "I can do it myself!". I tell him " I will do everything I can to promote your independance. I am only trying to keep you safe." He has friends visit and I can hear him talking and realize that he can be charming and must be well liked by the amount of visitors. I ask him frequently if I can get his "guests" some coffee or soda. I always ask him- so that he can be "the host."

3 days later and I will be off for three days. He asks if I will be coming back the next day and I tell him not until Monday. He gets tears in his eyes. Apologizes for being "a cranky old bas#*(&." Then he kisses me on the cheek and tells me he will miss me. I hug him and tell him I will miss him too. That is why I stay in nursing for now.

Hopegirl · May 20, 2004

So much I thank you for posting the good stories and thoughts!

-J

2ndgenerationnurse · May 22, 2004

when i was doing home health i had an unusual couple i took care of. i would go see them about once a week.

she (yes she) was a retired spunky preacher, and he was her biggest fan. they came complete with the old dog that would never die, you know the scraggly, snorting kind, that would relieve itself at will, but the couple loved him anyway. i guess in some ways they could relate to his decline in health.

this couple would never let me leave without a smile. they had quite a sense of humor and i always brought a joke to share and they never failed to ask to hear it.

but my favorite visit: i was at the sink with my back to the Mr.; he had quite a few meds and i was filling his pill minder. he was very patiently and quietly waiting for me and when i turned around he was grinning ear to ear and wearing MY large (dollar store) blue lensed sun glasses i had left on the table beside him. :specs: :chuckle he cracked me up and he was so pleased with himself.

i highly recommend telling a tasteful joke to your patients, at appropriate times of course.... it really does brighten their day and it can also be a good way to reach out to them.

coral (+])

moia · May 22, 2004

Many years ago we had one of those really quiet..bizarrely quiet saturday nights in ICU...we had two patients because there were no beds for them..yup two!! The patients were really upset they were stuck in the unit for the weekend.

We had a nurse for each AND a charge nurse so we decided to have a good night..we sent one of the girls off to Mcdonalds and to the video store..we took orders from EVERyONE...we took a vote on the movies ...we fixed the beds so they could see the tv..we ate and watched movies and had popcorn..we swore them to secrecy...ofcourse they couldn't wait to tell the doc and their family and everyone was really really happy...the doc still talks about that weekend..he said the patients never forgot it and he says it's a real shame so much has changed and the patients are so much sicker we may never get a chance to do that ever again.