The patients you love working with.

Published

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Sometimes I feel irrationally guilty about ranting, so I usually need to do something to balance it out.

Here's my balancing act. :)

I had a patient recently with new onset a fib w/ palpitations, not controlled with meds inpatient. A candidate for and scheduled for cardioversion. Just a very nice lady. Lots of family and friends around throughout the day. She was understandably nervous, had lots of questions. I gave her written info on cardioversion, answered her questions best I could, had the residents come to bedside to answer questions, etc. The day she had cardioversion, she wasn't assigned to me, but I saw the attending looking at the monitor, and I noticed she was sinus in the 60s. No kidding, I immediately smiled and clapped my hands together, knowing that her ordeal was over, at least for the time being. I couldn't help myself, I went to her room to ask how she was. I had had a really tough shift the day she was my patient, and my visit to her was completely selfish. I needed to see someone get better, rather than worse. We talked for a minute or two, and I was smiling the rest of the day.

Sometimes patients can lift our spirits on the way to better health.

Please share your stories on those patients that put a smile on your face!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What a great story!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.

I work with kids so the vast majority of them I love working with, it's the parents that can drive you up the wall.

A recent gem: 6 year old with cancer who requires daily GCSF injections following chemo. After his first cycle, he cried every day and would fight and yell "I'm not ready yet" every time I came to his house. Now he really just grins and bears it. The last time I gave him a shot, I told him how brave he is now and he asked me "what's an example of a brave animal?" The things that kids think/say are just priceless.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I work with kids so the vast majority of them I love working with, it's the parents that can drive you up the wall.

Similar thing here: I love working with psych patients. It's the families that I find to be the most frustrating...that's because a lot of families don't understand the true nature of psychiatric illness.

Fortunately in psych, we limit when families can visit--even on the kids' unit--so I'm spared from having to deal with families hovering at the patient's side for 12 hours.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I just love any pt that takes responsibility for their health, good or bad and takes charge of getting better.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Working two jobs now one in a peds dr office and the second in an assisted living facility for the elderly. Huge difference between age groups but I just couldn't give up my position at the AL facility because you grow attached to the residents for example there is a couple who had met years ago in Europe while he was stationed there in the military, fell in love, had a family and due to her health is now a resident because she needs the extra care and attention around the clock. BUT he never left her side moved in to be with her and is with her everyday even during her bad days. Who couldn't love that? True love right there. :yes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Lots of access, great veins, takes all their pills at once...lol just kidding. I enjoy patients that actively participate in their recovery.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Babies, without parents at the hospital.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.

I recently had a TBI who had a brain bleed while undergoing brain surgery for Parkinsons. He had the sweetest smile and demeanor. Would constantly try to get up, and although he could bear his weight he was horribly un-steady....

I was a clinical secretary as well as a nursing assistant and while I worked secretary he would sit at the desk with me.

He would sit in a recliner chair most of the time and i'd have him right next to me so I could play games with him. I remember I taught him to thumb wrestle and pillow fight.

One night he was realllly restless, so I took his chair and raced him down the linoleum hallway a few times. I could see the huge grin on his face in the window reflections. I told him to watch out for other people, lol. I never did get caught and he loved every second of it.

Man, I miss that guy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I have a lady on 'my' hall who's not very old (just turned 70 last month and looks younger) but has just about everything wrong with her---diabetic, asthmatic, heart failure, renal disease, dementia, and a whole list of psychoses. The other night she was telling me that she had to get to the plane that was outside, as she was trying to get to the 19-month old African-American baby she was adopting; and then she said sadly, "I know everybody in this place thinks I'm nuts, but I'm not".

Well, I know a little bit about how that feels, so I asked her about the baby---what country the child was coming from, the name she'd chosen for her etc. Then I told her that I didn't think she was nuts at all......and her sweet little face broke into this huge grin, she said "Thank you!" and kissed my hand right there in the middle of the hallway! Now she follows me on my rounds and keeps me company---she even knows when she needs to stay quiet so I can concentrate, and tells me funny stories when I'm able to pay attention. I love her! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.
I have a lady on 'my' hall who's not very old (just turned 70 last month and looks younger) but has just about everything wrong with her---diabetic, asthmatic, heart failure, renal disease, dementia, and a whole list of psychoses. :)

My Nana said to me " I have every disease there is except for one of those TSD's"

I said, " Do you mean STD, Nana?"

She said "Yep, that one. I got cobwebs down there"

She was so freaking hilarious.

Sorry, your post made me think of her. :-p

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

Less than 4 kilos, intubated, sedated, npo orphans.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion