Have you received memorable cards and gifts from patients and families that made your day? I have always loved to see the cards, flowers, etc that people will send after our patients go home. Especially I like a progress report that shows our caring made a difference!
We may feel like "just another provider" but when we get a little thanks or recognition, for example, "The best unit my mom has been on" etc., it just helps ease the pain of the trials we face and feeling unappreciated.
I know we aren't supposed to take gifts but my supervisor once made an exception. I was caring for a lady in a nursing home and she passed away. Her family gave me a special watch that was made with abelone shell, it was gorgeous. They just liked how I had cared for her in her last days.
This is something that says "thanks" to all of us - and from some of us, to you. It is written as if people with disabilities might have written it, but it seems to apply to any of our nursing experiences:
BEATITUDES FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE
BLESSED ARE YOU who take time to listen to difficult speech, for you
help us to know that if we persevere we can be understood.
BLESSED ARE YOU who walk with us in public places, and ignore the
stares of strangers, for in your friendship we feel good to be
ourselves.
BLESSED ARE YOU who never bid us to "hurry up" and, more blessed,
you who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us,
for often we need time rather than help.
BLESSED ARE YOU who stand beside us as we enter new and untried
ventures, for our unsureness will be outweighed by the times when we
surprise ourselves and you.
BLESSED ARE YOU who ask for our help and realize our giftedness, for
our greatest need is to be needed.
BLESSED ARE YOU who help us with the graciousness of Christ, for
often we need the help we cannot ask for.
BLESSED ARE YOU when, by all things, you assure us that what makes
us individuals is not our particular disability or difficulty but
our beautiful God-given person-hood which no handicapping condition
can confine.
REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD for your understanding and love have
opened doors for us to enjoy life to its full and you have helped us
responding to you cause i am a 47 yo in the midst of changing careers to nursing. seeking to be accepted in an rn program..please tell me how it really is....as far as day to day nursing.....
Sandyis Me, my sister was killed in an auto accident, will be 2 years this 8/24, only 2 months after my mom died. My heart goes out to you. I have dealt with so much death in my family. Out of six siblings, only my brother and I are left in our family as both parents are also gone. In a one year span between 1993 & 1994, my dad - my 9 1/2 year old son and my 37 year old brother all died. You know death is not easy but it is a part of life we all have to face and I know will be a part of nursing that we will deal with. I don't see how it will ever be easy, but knowing that we are doing out very best to help and that we were there to try and make a difference, that's what I keep thinking about. There just aren't words to say, but maybe a hug, just listening - I pray that I will be guided to do the right thing. Blessings to you.
a big hug to you ! are you in school or finished and working? you've been through so much with so many of your family members passing away in such a short length of time.
i stuggle with just my dad and my sister within a few months of each otehr. sis i miss her so, she was 3 years younger than me. not supposed to happen likethat.
Sandyis me, I know hon, my sister was the baby of the family, only 33 and I was 20 years older than her. She was like my baby. I am just getting started in my nursing career. This is my first semester of taking some pre-nursing classes - I am trying to decide between LPN and an Associate Degree for RN.
do you want to keep in touch? i live in virginia. and am still researching evrything....i am trying to figure out how i can take all the prereqs they require and apply in time. Private message me.
I've been reading these with tears in my eyes just loving all these stories but thinking I didn't have any to share (what a crappy nurse, right? :lol: ). Then I remembered two that have really made a difference to me.
One, I was a new nurse extern on an adult telemetry unit. I didn't really know what I was doing so I just followed my preceptor around. Meal time came and went for breakfast, lunch. We passed trays, did random (to me) stuff. When dinner trays were passed, I brought one in to this old man...80's I think and started to leave when I remembered that even though I hadn't brought his earlier trays, I had picked them up and they had been full. Until then I had just been following the other nurses' lead and not doing anything other than what they told me to do. But for some reason I stayed with him and fed him his tray. He ate every single bite, drank all his fluid, plus more and turned and looked at me and said, "thank you." Two simple words that just touched my heart. That was my first thank you and also the first time I realized that as a nurse, I would need to follow my own code of ethics and be true to myself and my patients.
Second and so dear to my heart: As a PICU nurse of 4 years (at the time) I took a primary. He was a Down's baby with the requisite heart defects (repaired) that in his 2 year life had only been home for 2 months. His family was young (mom was 26 when she had him with 2 older sons) and had the most amazing faith. I got to know them over the course of a year, partaking in hospital birthday party that turned him 3, giving birthday noogies and hugs to his brothers. He was never healthy but never really sick, would bounce back and forth from stepdown to PICU, never able to go home. Mom got pregnant again and was the epitome of health, glowing and still able to be the best mom to her 2 healthy boys and her chronically hospitalized son.
Finally, he got septic. He lingered for 2 weeks with measure after measure failing. After a lot of prayer, his family decided to withdraw life support. I was there and a lot of tears were shed. Some time after the funeral, Mom came to the hospital with her boys because, "they missed us" (broke my heart). In that visit she informed me that she was naming her soon to be born daughter after me. So, not a traditional thank you in the form of a card but an amazing gift that I will always cherish.
Specializes in Case Managemnt, Utilization Review.
I have been a nurse for 20 years and I remember the most significant time I ever spent with a patient was 18 years ago. This old frail women was on a trach and vent on a step down unit. I was busy working 3-11 and I was harried throughout my shift. She had a bible on her bedside table. She asked me if I could get it for her. I gave it to her and promised to return after shift report. I asked what she needed and she replied in writing, "just your company" I asked her if I could read her favorite passages in the Bible to her, she glowed and rubbed my hand, ever so gently the whole time. She went to various verses and I read them to her. I don't remember her name, but her face will always be with me. She died a few days later and I was sad, but so joyful to have had the blessing of sharing God's word with her, when we both really needed it.
My wife received an email from my aunt today -we haven't spoken in years -family history and all that- anyway, in the email my aunt told my wife that a friend of hers had been a patient of mine, and told her (aunt) that if it werent for me, she would have died. Took me a while to remember but she was on our floor, and they were talking about discharging her the next morning. The shift was almost over (I'd already passed morning meds and was wrapping up paperwork when for some reason I just had a bad feeling, and went into her room. She was having some trouble breathing and after prompting her to answer questions, turns out she had some pain in her chest -and you could see her breathing was a bit more labored. She didn't want to complain because she was afraid (rightly so) that it would probably stop her from going home. Her vitals all looked good and consistent with what she had been doing, and her rhythm looked good regardless of the lead looked at (we are hardwired five-lead) lungs were clear bilat in all lobes, her sats were lower than norm, but still within acceptable range, but it just "felt" bad. So I called the doc and questioned weather or not a PE might be responsible (bed-ridden, history of dvts and some other things I can't recall, but it just kind of bugged me). They gave some orders and said they would be there shortly. They came just after I gave report, and I talked with them briefly. When I came back that night I found out that she did have a pulmonary embolus and had (so far) survived the day. Never saw her again. I'm amazed after all this time (its been about a year) she remembered and said something to my aunt. Glad she lived -they were a nice family, and she was very sick. Sometimes you just gotta follow your instincts :)
Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.
I was a nurses aide when I was 16y/o I worked at a LTC.They had children there and young people with disabilities.There was one young patient who was about my age.Occasionally I would bring him to ourfamily picnics,ect.with me and my then boyfriend(husband now)For his birthday I bought him a furry blanket.We still talk to each other on occasionThe other day,almost 30 years later!!! !,he said he still had the blanket I bought for him.and told me how much it meant to him that I gave him that gift.That was a wonderful show of gratitude,but I told him it was time for a new blanket!!
I am a brand new nurse just finished my 8 weeks of orientation. anyways I have been up to 5 on my own for the past 2 weeks and last week I took care of a patient who I knew outside of work. She is actually one of my girl Scout moms. I had no clue, but she was pregnant and miscarried. I had just seen her at a meeting the day before! When I walked in the room and she heard my voice she instantly started crying and reached up for me. Anyways, throughout that day I had to give her blood, give her rhogam, she had a migraine and was vomiting, I took the scrunchie out of my own hair and pulled hers back because she had nothing. I held her emesis basin for her. I was doing my job as I would for any patient. I left her that night and the follwing evening I called her home to make sure she was alright. She said she was. She thanked me for taking care of her. Well the next day my husband came in the house with flowers and a card, which were from her. She left them on my doorstep. I was blown away. See, to me I was just doing my job. I was doing what I would for any patient. The words in her card meant more to me than the card itself or the flowers. Sure they were a nice gesture, but it was her words and knowing I made a difference to her during that time. That's what it's all about. Doing your best and knowing that you helped someone in their time of need. I will keep the card forever.
Specializes in ED, CCL, PICC placement, Education.
I recently received a good comment card from a patient that stated "Thank you for my soap suds enema. You made it as enjoyable as possible" That made my day I thought it was very cute.
I've been reading these with tears in my eyes just loving all these stories but thinking I didn't have any to share (what a crappy nurse, right? :lol: ). Then I remembered two that have really made a difference to me.
You know, I'm thinking the same thing. Why is it you can remember the terrible experiences, but never the good / heart touching ones? There are so many 'little' thankyou's that mean so much at the time, even when ppl say things such as "I can see you are so busy, but thankyou for helping me" ... I can think of so many like that. And I love it when you walk down the street and ppl come up and thank you (even if you can't remember them, which is sooo embarrassing).
I think one thankyou made me think not to judge patients. A lady came in in much distress and to all of us she seemed a bit of a "dying swan". But as always we spent alot of time trying to make her comfortable. When she left she gave me a box of chocolates. I hardly looked after her, and I was so embarrassed...so I shared some with my staff members who had spent a lot of time with her. But it makes you think...
sandyis_me
8 Posts
responding to you cause i am a 47 yo in the midst of changing careers to nursing. seeking to be accepted in an rn program..please tell me how it really is....as far as day to day nursing.....
thanks,
sandy