Was told I don't make a difference in the lives of Alz pts....

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2011

Inappropriate? Well, it's her opinion. I don't find it to be a valid opinion. Burned out and ****** coworkers are in every industry. You seem to have lucked into one right from the get-go. Don't let it get to you. You do make a difference. I don't even know you and I can tell from your post that you care enough to make a difference.

A nursing supervisor with an attitude like that needs to start looking for a new industry in which to work.

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Apr 15, 2011

Watched my mom get taken by Alz. Not only did the staff make a huge difference for her, they helped me and my sibblings knowing that she was recieving good compassionate care 24/7 which we couldn't do. I suspect you supervisors comments reflect her more than other staff. Thanks for all you do.

Moogie · Apr 15, 2011

I disagree strongly with your supervisor. Just the fact that your residents aren't as combative when you're around is a testament to the benefits of your calm presence and caring attitude.

Please don't let her attitude get you down. You are obviously making a difference in the lives of people whose worlds have crumbled due to the ravages of dementia. You are your residents' worlds for the time in which you interact with them. You also make a difference to the families.

Keep up the good work and ignore the Negative Nelly. BTW, yes, I think she needs to look for a different line of work, too.

gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 15, 2011

There are those people out there who believe that once Alz takes a person, no one can make a difference to them. These are the same people who belittle anyone who does better then themselves. I have worked in Alz. Units, I have seen first hand the difference in some patients when thier "favorite" person enter the room. You have a gift the Supervisor does not have. He/She may not even believe it is possible for anyone to have this gift. Just do what you do best, know in your heart that you ARE making a difference, to the patient and to thier families. Blessings on you for your patience & kindness to those lost to this horrible disease.

donnatroy27 · Apr 15, 2011

I completely disagree. In their moments of lucidity, they remember. I have patients with Alzheimer's that I work with in hospice. I feel they'll never remember me, but when they smile at me and I'm lucky enough to hear them say, "oh, my nurse is here" I know my TLC has made their transition some what easier. Others may not agree that your care made a difference for the pt, but I'm sure your TLC has made a difference in the lives of their families. It's a very hard time and just knowing they have someone there that's understanding can really mean a lot.

JayCee49 · Apr 15, 2011

You do make a difference!! CARING... is what makes the difference! I have been an LPN for 29 years. Everyday that I go to work I make a difference in someones life. Residents/ patients, family members and coworkers. Unfortunately in our society there are not enough people that are in healthcare for the caring/ compassion. For many, it is only a means of having a stable job and a constant paycheck. Real passion for making a difference is what makes a GREAT nurse. I may not be reconized and praised by my peers but in the end...I can go home after my shift lay my head down and go to sleep knowing that I GAVE RESPECT, COMFORT, HONOR, AND DIGNITY TO MY ELDERLY HEROS!! Keep doing what you do best and let the ignorance of others remind you why your presence is so important. Don't treat your patients/residents as you would want to be treated! TREAT THEM AS YOU WOULD WANT YOUR OWN MOTHER TREATED!!! :nurse:

kristak10 · Apr 15, 2011

Don't ever feel like you don't make a difference! I have had people tell me this also. It doesn't bother me what other people say or think. I know I make a difference everyday. If I can sit with someone who is convinced the "people over there are going to hurt me" and help them feel safe and protected...then I made a difference. Someone knowing your name or face is not what matters. It matters that they are happy, feel safe, and are well taken care of. Moments are what matter with dementia residents. You are not going to receive a lot of "I appreciate your help" or "thank you" in dementia care...you need to be secure enough with your own care giving to know you are doing everything you can. Trust me...if they could tell you how much you mean to them, they would.

rnccf2007, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2011

you can make a (big) difference in the lives of alzheimer's/dementia patients. one of my greatest joys was working with this patient population as a nursing assistant. it was both challenging and rewarding. as an acute care nurse, i see an increase in this patient population r/t the aging of america. therefore, all nurses need to be educated on issues r/t this patient population. two great resources are the alzheimer's foundation of america and the alzheimer's association. i am working on an advanced degree and would like to eventually become a nurse researcher with a focus on alzheimer's. below is part of a discussion i wrote while pursuing my bsn. hope this shows you how you can make a difference:

i realized that the greatest challenge in caring for this population is communication and effective management of behavioral issues. knowing what behaviors are characteristic of dementia patients is not enough to effectively manage these issues. a clear understanding of the causes of specific behaviors can enhance assessment and application of effective dementia care techniques. effective verbal communication is also important, however; non-verbal communication becomes essential as thinking and language skills progressively decline. despite education on care of the patient with dementia, health care workers may sometimes forget that the patient has a past with their own unique experiences. the patient may have memories which we assume are nonexistent due to their cognitive impairment. according to mauk and barnes (2009), when working with cognitively impaired patients, "it is important that the caregiver not lose sight of the client's perspective" and the patient may "find comfort in some behavior such as carrying a doll" (p. 520). we may assume that the patient's thoughts are "not grounded in reality" (mauk & barnes, 2009, p. 520).

i remember mary, a resident with late stage alzheimer's disease, whom i took care of when working as a nursing assistant. the staff was aware of her history based on information obtained from her family. we dressed her in purple, because that was her favorite color to wear. we gave her a baby doll, also dressed in purple, because she loved children but was unable to bear them. she wandered up and down the hallways in her wheelchair mumbling incoherently, her voice barely a whisper. her baby doll was always in her lap and its face was covered with pink kisses because of the lipstick she loved to wear. one day; while taking care of her, i commented on how, only she, could get away with wearing pink lipstick with a purple outfit. she gestured for me to come closer. i bent down to her; she pulled me close, kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear. what she said was not incoherent. i thought my ears were playing tricks on me, and i had to ask, "mary, what did you say?" she whispered in my ear again, "i appreciate the great care that everyone has given me here." i thanked her and stood back up feeling a sense of wonder, while touching the pink lipstick kiss that i knew was on my cheek. i never heard mary speak again. perhaps the "great care" that we had given mary was beyond the obvious. we had also validated her as a person."

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2011

There are days as a nurse where you feel like you're just polishing the deck chairs on the Titanic. But every once in a while, you do make an impact, and sometimes you actually get to save a life. I work in an ICU, and half the time, I feel like we're just postponing/prolonging the inevitable, making the pt suffer, costing the family thousands and thousands of dollars when the poor soul needs to be home on hospice, surrounded by their friends, family and their beloved home, not dying surrounded by strangers. But just this week, I bumped into a patient who was coming into the hospital for some routine lab work. He hugged me, his wife hugged me, and told me he remembered me telling him he was not going to stay on a vent, not stay so sick, and that he was actually getting better. I made a difference to that one.

I hope her comments were just a momentary moment of sadness, but I'm worried about you working for such a person. People don't burn out, they are "burned" out -- and she sounds like she's a great firestarter.....

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2011

There are days as a nurse where you feel like you're just polishing the deck chairs on the Titanic. But every once in a while, you do make an impact, and sometimes you actually get to save a life. I work in an ICU, and half the time, I feel like we're just postponing/prolonging the inevitable, making the pt suffer, costing the family thousands and thousands of dollars when the poor soul needs to be home on hospice, surrounded by their friends, family and their beloved home, not dying surrounded by strangers. But just this week, I bumped into a patient who was coming into the hospital for some routine lab work. He hugged me, his wife hugged me, and told me he remembered me telling him he was not going to stay on a vent, not stay so sick, and that he was actually getting better. I made a difference to that one.
I hope her comments were just a momentary moment of sadness, but I'm worried about you working for such a person. People don't burn out, they are "burned" out -- and she sounds like she's a great firestarter.....

This was my first reaction. Supervisor probably having a bad day and forgot to "keep it to herself".

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Apr 15, 2011

You make a huge difference. Don't ever forget that.