What do you call your "greatest" compliment?

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I have been referred to as MANY things over the years!

Smart , efficient... and some terms not printable on this site! Recently, I had a co-worker and a family member describe me as compassionate. Not an easy trait to maintain in the current nursing environment!

Truly, the highest compliment I can think of.

And what is yours?;)

There were several, but the one that always comes to mind is that after giving an elderly pt alot of bedside care, and her meds & tx's she told me as I went out the door that if ever there is a stairway to heaven I would deffinately be on it!:nurse:

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Specializes in OrthoRehab/Med-Surg.

Whenever a patient gives me a hug when they are being discharged or when I am nearing the end of my shift. Also, a patient told me the other day that he felt so comfortable with the care that he was receiving from the nursing staff; he felt more like we were family caring for him.

These are the situations that make me realize that all my hard work and care for my patients is truely worth every minute of my time. I love being a nurse!!!

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Specializes in ob, med surg.

Having my long term death bed patient punch the air and yell "YES!" when I answered 'yes i will' to his question "Will you be my nurse tonight?" :redpinkhe :nurse:

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I recently cared for an older man who turned out to be a local big-wig, but of course I failed to make the connection.... as I was discharging him home the light bulb illuminated in my head! We both laughed and I made my usual comment - "Don't come back, because I would really prefer people to not be sick." He looked me in the eye, took my hand and replied that if he hadn't been sick, he would never have met me... I was speechless!

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Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.

It was my first day off of orientation as a new nurse and I had a little old ornery 88 year old lady. This poor soul was so upset that she was in the hospital and wanted to go home. I sat down next to her bed and held her hand and listened to her for a few minutes. As I was doing this her Dr walked in the room and saw me with the patient and the first thing he said was that his patient had a very good nurse. I was so shocked and delighted all at the same time. I felt as a new nurse that I had so much to learn and was a nervous wreck.

I have also had family members tell me they were glad I was taking care of their mother and that they did not have to worry about her.

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Specializes in NICU.

Great topic! Thinking about it I have a couple:

- I had a mom (who was a professional photographer) of an infant who had died take the time to tell me how lovely my photos were of her baby and of the family. She said I should join the photographers who volunteer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

- I have had several co-workers who have requested that I care for their babies in the NICU.

- After telling a man in a scrub store that I work in NICU, he said that nurses who work for patients who cannot verbalize their thanks were truly special and that they would receive special blessing in heaven.

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Walking down the hall with med cart in LTC facility, resident clapping and doing a cheer with my name in it, so happy that I was his nurse for the evening. Made my day, every time!

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Specializes in SICU, Renal Trnsplnt, ER, OPS, LNC.

Just after graduating from college very early in my career, I was working on an EENT/Plastic/Restructive Surgery unit. When one of my patients who had had a radical neck dissection and tracheotomy three or four days before asked to be suctioned, I asked his wife to wait out in the hallway. This was the first day I had been assigned to this patient. I asked her to wait in the hallway because she was an RN and made me nervous. Also, because I was a brand new RN, I was a little slow at doing trach care and wanted to do it without her breathing down my neck. She glared at me as she left the room. She apparently got tired of waiting because she opened the door to the room and asked if I was finished. I replied that I wasn't finished yet. When I finished caring for the patient, I left the room and told her she could go back in. She came looking for me a few minutes later. When she found me, she told me her husband had written on the notepad that his trach site "feels cleaner than it has since my surgery. I feel so clean!" She then admitted to me that she was afraid I would do shabby care since I didn't want her in the room. I then told her I was a new nurse and was a little slow yet but that I had wanted to do a good job without her making me nervous. She then told me I could do trach care for her husband anytime. She was very kind to me and supportive of me during her husband's entire hospitalization. After her husband was discharged, she wrote a letter to the hospital praising the quality of the care I had given her husband.

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Specializes in PHN, NSG Supervisor.

The best compliment I ever received was the first year out of nursing school when I was working on a telemetry floor and had this really sweet lady probably about 70ish. She had her daughter with her and she was going for cardiac testing that day. She had been admitted with chest pain. I had only been out of school for 6 or 7 months because I had just gotten on days. I was doing my patient teaching and explaining about her tests she was having and answering questions she had. I was trying to be through and kind and considerate. Before she left the floor for her testing or it might had been after she got back to the floor, her daughter asked me how long I had been a nurse and I told her. She was surprised. Come to find our she was a nursing instructor and she never told me until then. She was even so kind to even write a letter complimenting me to my DON on the floor and I was shocked needless to say! I was so glad Ididn't know until the end or I would have been so nervous!

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I have been an LPN for about 7 years; but I got the compliment I treasure most when I was in LPN classes and working 3-11 as a CNA in a LTC facility on the weekend. A call bell rang from the room of two elderly ladies. As I entered the resident in bed A said, “My legs are aching, could you tell the nurse I need a pain pill?”

I went to the nurses’ station, only to find the nurse in an involved discussion with the family member of another resident. Back in the patient’s room I explained the nurse was tied up with an emergency and probably wouldn’t be free for 15-20 minutes. “I can’t get you the pain pill, but maybe I can make you a little more comfortable while you wait.” After re-arranging the pillows that supported her leg I massaged her leg for 3-4 minutes. She thanked me and said she did feel a bit better.

Since I was in the room anyway, I went to bed B and asked if she needed anything. The lady said, “No.” Knowing this lady was a retired RN, I felt especially flattered when she looked over at her friend in bed A and said simply, “You have the touch.”

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Specializes in neuro, ortho, peds, home, home cardiac.

The daughter of one of my home care patients said to me, "You know that movie, Mr. Holland's Opus?" "Well, my mother is your opus." 'nough said! :D:D:D That one still helps me through the tough days.

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

three recently

the first was when an Anaesthiest on the acute pain service (who manage all our patients with narcotic infusions /PCAs on the wards) said about a very unstable patient that I had I feel that they are safe here because you are their nurse and you educate your patient and their family. I usually say to my post op laporotomy patients that I am very mean I will make you get out of bed and deep breath and cough and walk. BUT if you do them you will have a much lower risk of getting a RTI or DVT and you will walk out of here a lot sooner and I always drug them up!

The second was from a guy who had been nil for about a week post gastrectomy and had been on some heavy duty Antis. and now when he was allowed fluids people were wondering why he wasn't keen on drinking. I asked him and he said "Cause everything tasted funny" Stick out your tongue I said he had a whooping case of oral thrush! 2 days of nystatin QID and he was drinking. He said "i can taste again!" such a little thing and yet it made him so much happier and fell so much better.

The finial one was a guy that had been admitted with a huge liver abscess and it was causing massive sepsis. He was so septic one day he didn't recognise his wife. I sat with her and explained what we were planning on doing. Inserting a PICC and Q4hr benzopen. Drew diagrams of the liver and the abcess and how the surgeons were planning on draining it the next day. I nursed him through that septic phase and for three days after. However after a day off I had different patients. I heard that this patient was being discharged and I went into say goodbye to him. His wife who is about a foot shorter than me, grabbed me in a big bear hug and was crying saying thank you thank you you are the best! That made me feel so proud.

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