lilbabynurse

I just became a member just to reply to this thread! haha here is my little story I was working nights on a BUSY GI oncology medsurg floor. one of my 24 patients was terminal and was refusing treatment and was septic and in isolation. she and drains and tubes and lines comming from everywhere. And she couldnt sleep... (or "wouldnt" sleep as everybody else on that floor was saying.) She was very anxious - she kept rocking back and forth in her bed saying "oh my, oh goodness, oh it hurts... youre sick of me... im going to die..." everybody just ignored her. needless to say, "everybody's" callous insensitivity was really PISSING me off. So i went into the room and held her hand, and said in my attempt to calm her "can you please tell me where it hurt" and she said everywhere, but touched her thighs, which where pulled towards her chest. i said "put youre legs straigt for me" and masagged her thighs. I didnt think anything of it, i thought it wasnt the spot that hurt. Then in the morning, i went back to check on her, and she said "elise... can you do that thing to my back... do that thing to my back..." i eventually figured out she meant she wanted a back rub. So i rubbed her back for five minutes, and she fell asleep!! for the first time that night. For the next two nights, i checked on her, and rubbed her back for her, and she would sleep for like a half hour (which i the longest she ended up getting at all) I dont care if everyone on the unit rolled their eyes at me... the would say "what the hell are you doing, shes terminal just leave her alone" or "shes confused, she doesnt know whats going on!" I know i helped her, and probably gave her the last back massage she ever had, and helped her sleep a little. The night before she was being transferred, she said "elise, i dont want to leave" and i said "you dont like it here, remember, you can go home and be with you're daughter and youre kitten!" she said "... but ill never see you again, and that makes me sad, because you have a very good heart" *tear* i saw her obit in the paper just four days later, which i weird because i never even read the paper... anyways, it just goes to show that even if you think you arent doing any good, youre probably doing more good that you could *ever* imagine. I LOVE NURSING!!