Maybe as a tag-along to the thread that has people in a twist over whether or not nurses are being positive enough, or too negative, or whatever, we could try for something a little upbeat.
What has happened to you (or someone else?) at work that made you GLAD that you were there that day? Did you feel you made a difference?
I recently had a patient who had diverticulitis and was facing a bowel resection and somehow no one had either explained to him what to expect or he hadn't been able to hear it. At any rate, when I got him he was scared to death what was going to happen to him, whether he'd be able to eat/poop normally again. Somehow he got the idea he'd need a colostomy, and that freaked him out unnecessarily.
I spent all of fifteen minutes with him initially and watched this fella change from freaked out to calm, once he realized the why's and wherefore's. I then checked on him and let him talk when he needed. I got him after surgery, too, and while most of the time people never even give a cursory "thank you", this man made me feel like a million bucks! He thanked me for taking the time to talk to him and apologized for being "a baby". Oh, man, he wasn't a baby at all, just a human being who needed another human (who happened to have a medical clue) to calm him down.
I felt proud to be a nurse when I left for a couple of days :)
I'm on orientation and have been really discouraged with IVs lately.. (I work on a renal/resp floor and its so tough) anyways... I got one on a LOL today on the first try :)
Sickle Cell Crisis pt... absolutely one of the nicest people I've ever had for a pt gave several of us Thank You cards.
Another pt was really having a difficult time, widowed, only child deceased, in pain & up for surgery-I grabbed his hand, told him that he was in alot better shape than most of my pts & I really felt he was going to have a good result.
Next day, he grabbed my hand & told me, "I couldn't have done this without you- you made the difference."
:yelclap: I have been a nurse for 23years and have had many wonderful experiences with patients and families. I know one thing for sure, the good days far outweigh the bad. Thanks for the uplifiting stories
Specializes in med/surg, Icu/Ccu. ER, PACU, HHC, LTC.
Been a nurse 31 years soon, so I do have both stories (good and bad)...
Yes reading the *bad* can be a downer, but when the situation is bad it so helps to hear/read that others have had and unfortunately may have the same problem, but foremost that if you are having the issue, to know you are not alone is so comforting. As it is human nature to talk about the bad before the good...misery does love company.
This thread made me cry and i am having a difficult time career wise right now, and been there done that with many of these posts, so hopefully I can remember the good and get on with things.
The one that won my heart was Peter and Rose.....omg how sweet.
Took care of a lady who'd just delivered a 26wk IUFD. We bonded pretty immediately. She didn't want to see the baby nor any pictures of her. I asked if she minded if I looked at the pictures L/D had taken (I only do that if I'm pretty sure pt will say yes...don't like to make a hard situation harder). She said that would be ok. I looked at the pictures for a couple minutes then told her, "If you ever get to the point where you are ready to see these pictures, I want you to know that I think she is beautiful." She broke out into the biggest, most radiant smile. I know that comment didn't solve 100% of anything, but it warmed my heart to see her smile like that at a time when it is so hard to smile. Very nice lady, I won't forget her.
Specializes in L&D, OR, postpartum, pedi, OBGYN clinic.
My story happened a couple years ago in Zambia. I was there for the summer after my third year of nursing school, working at a little bush hospital. They were letting me do EVERYTHING, including delivering babies. My last little guy, it was just me and a traditional birth attendant (a trained Zambian woman). Everything was going well until the baby was born completely blue and "flatty" .. no HR that I could tell, refusing to breathe. And it was a Tuesday, so no electricity at the hospital. So I had to pray there was battery in the suction. No O2, no nothing. Lots of stimulation and druing and feet-flicking did nothing. I suctioned him and did a few chest compressions, just hoping more than anything. I felt like the entire world stopped right there.
And then he cried.
I went to see his mother the next day to tell her I was leaving the day after and asked her if she had chosen his name. Traditionally, they don't choose names until they leave the hospital, which would be in a few days for her. She smiled shyly and asked me to name him for her. I threw out a couple of suggestions, and she picked the first one.
So, there's a little 2-and-a-half year old running around Zambia, named after my dad: Allan.
Ok the Peter and Rose was very sweet but this one was the one that got the teary eyes for me...I love the babies :)
I volunteer at O'Connor hospital in L&D and MotherBaby...I got to show new parents how to put a car seat in their car last week and helped a first time mom latch a baby on for feeding yesterday. I know, little things, but I love it :)
I was doing night duty in a Urology Unit and we had an 18 year old Metastatic Testicular Cancer patient.
I was only 20 and had limited experience with death so did my best to avoid this young man's room but he rang his bell and I had to steel myself to go in.
He was in a sideroom with a window and there as a most glorious sunrise.
He turned to me with tears streaming down his face,grabbed my hand, and told me he was frightened of dying and did not know what to expect.
He asked me what death would be like and was there life after death.
I told him,that to me, death is not the end.
It is merely the final stage we go through.I said I believed that there would be people there to help him,his loved ones that had gone before and that he would not be alone.
He visibly relaxed and said he would be alright and that I could go.
He had a lovely smile on his face and almost looked angelic.
I went home after checking him several times to find him asleep.
I came on the next night to find he had peacefully passed away about an hour after I left.
While I felt sad I also felt good that maybe,in some way, I eased his final hours.
TigerGalLE, BSN, RN
713 Posts
I'm on orientation and have been really discouraged with IVs lately.. (I work on a renal/resp floor and its so tough) anyways... I got one on a LOL today on the first try :)