What's the nicest thing anyone has ever said or done for you?

jalyc RN · Feb 20, 2014

The one act I remember because it floored me was a very rainy day. I got out of my car to walk across the parking lot when a CNA ran up with an umbrella. I told her to go ahead and leave, as she was a day shifter, that I would not melt. She said "I am working a double. I came out here for you." :wideyed:

rncat2000 · Feb 20, 2014

Because I work nights birthdays can be impossible to plan for because if I'm working I'm sleeping and if I happen to work off that morning I'm too exhausted to anything!

The nicest thing anyone ever did for me was my birthday happen to fall in the middle of my 5 night stretch and it was a big on. Well I was mopping around feeling sorry for myself when I happened to be at the desk charting at midnight and my entire family showed up with cupcakes for the whole staff and presents!!!

They only stayed long enough for me to open my gifts and wish me a happy birthday but it meant the whole world to me! Plus thinking about the rest of the staff making sure there were plenty of cupcakes for everyone!

Clementia · Feb 21, 2014

My husband and I had been having a run of car trouble. When one car wasn't in the shop, the other one was. On top of all that, we were short of cash because I was staying home with a brand new baby.

A friend of ours walked up to me one night at church and said, "Um...do you want a car?" They gave us a big used vehicle in great condition. We figured it had to be worth over a thousand dollars, and they just gave it to us. It was the one time in my life when I was so surprised I felt dizzy and had to sit down.

PaintedWings♥ · Feb 22, 2014

"I'm glad you are my friend." -I used to read a resident's letters/cards to her. She was blind and had trouble opening the letters, so I would offer to do it for her. She was a bit of a diva, so most of the time she didn't say thank you. When she said that to me, I looked at her and for the first time, I could see the lonely woman that was underneath her exterior. I was overwhelmed with emotion to think that she would think of me that way. That something so small would make her consider me a friend.

She passed away a year ago. RIP to my dear friend.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2014

"I'm glad you are my friend." -I used to read a resident's letters/cards to her. She was blind and had trouble opening the letters, so I would offer to do it for her. She was a bit of a diva, so most of the time she didn't say thank you. When she said that to me, I looked at her and for the first time, I could see the lonely woman that was underneath her exterior. I was overwhelmed with emotion to think that she would think of me that way. That something so small would make her consider me a friend.
She passed away a year ago. RIP to my dear friend.

:heartbeat:

(sniff) What? There's something in my eye.......anyone have a tissue? :crying2:

Loving this thread. :yes:

I think I shared this before, mine is "Thank you for saving my life" as the patient looked into my eyes surrounded by his family. He was going home on hospice for an inoperable fast growing throat cancer that was going to eventually close his airway.

When I received him as a patient he had a new trach. He had already had the cancer removed once. He was pretty quiet when I first met him. He knew he was going home to die. After half a day he opened up about his fears, about missing his grown children and wife. He let a few tears escape. We would chat whenever I came in to do my nursing duties. I think I worked a 2 or 3 day stretch with him.

Now that I think back on it, to me he wasn't just a patient I had to do trach care on, he was a person. I think he was thankful because I treated him like anyone else, I didn't walk on eggshells with him or look at him in pity. I felt like doing these things on the inside. In the end he had his humanity and dignity. I saw that in his eyes when he said thank you. ohhh...... Where did that tissue go?

missymae/rn · Feb 27, 2014

I changed directions this past year and left Mother/Infant home health to go do public school nursing. After about 1 month I got 2 surprises. One, a 1st grader gave me a note that said " I love u nurse Missy" and another gave me an apology note because he had gone home and told his mother the "nurse" cut his hair, so she made him apologize for lying about me.

ixchel · Feb 27, 2014

After injuring myself and discovering I have spinal fractures 3/4 of the way through my first semester in the program, I had to get a letter from my neurosurgeon giving clearance to stay in the program. After I got it, the head of the nursing department said to me that it would be a great disservice to the nursing profession to lose someone like me. Literally made my cry.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Mar 1, 2014

I had a doctor say "the astute nurse saved a patient's life" by recognizing the person had a PE and not pneumonia that was misdiagnosed. Also a patient thanked me for saving their life when I recognized an early internal bleed while they were on heparin. Just the other day a dr thanked me for my "succinct" report re patient in CHF from an MI. Coworkers have also asked for me as their nurse because they trust my ability and knowledge.

yvet · Mar 4, 2014

For some unknown reason I have had a liking for skeleton keys since childhood. I had been looking for a pendant with a skeleton key for quite a while, but just couldn't find exactly what I wanted. My seventeen year old daughter took some money she had saved and walked into Kay's Jewelers. She was ignored (I'm sure due to her young age). After trying for several minutes to get someone's attention another customer walked in and the employee immediately attended to the other customer. Eventually, the manager noticed my daughter and finally asked if she needed help. She said, "yes, I would like to buy something for my mother." She found the perfect skeleton key from Jane Seymour's Open Heart collection. She wrapped it and gave it to me for Christmas! I was so touched! It brought immediate, uncontrollable tears to my eyes! I absolutely love it and wear it every single day!! It means so much that it came from my generous and thoughtful daughter!

sharpeimom · Oct 6, 2014

My dad died very suddenly and unexpectedly when I was a senior in college. I was absolutely devastated. At his memorial service, people mostly spoke to my mom. I finished college and began grad school. Life went on. My mom let me know she had terminal cancer and I moved home again. I adjusted to a life in a small town again versus living in one of the country's biggest cities. I met my future husband and we played in a bridge group at the community center once a week.

One day the weather was terrible and while running my mom's errands, I got stuck. I called AAA and they said they'd be there -- eventually. I got home hours late and it was bridge night. My formerly always cheerful mother was in a foul mood. We had a quick

meal, I got her settled, and my husband-to-be picked me up. When we got there, my dad's former secretary saw us come in. When we had paid the game fee, she came over to us. She said to me, "I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile, Sweetie. Your dad would be so proud of the grown up you and just how well you turned out."

Three weepy people began the first round.

annie.rn · Oct 6, 2014

--When I was a student nurse intern at the VA, all the staff got together on my last day of work and threw me a big surprise party w/ all kinds of homemade food, decorations, gifts, etc. A lot of them could barely make ends meet but they were so generous w/ the gifts they gave me. More than that, they were generous with their hearts and made my first nursing experience a wonderful one where I felt so loved and so much a part of the team.

-- A doctor once stayed in the room helping me care for a critically ill Oncology patient. He was writing orders faster than I could carry them out. He was at the bedside w/ me for hours until the pt. was stable. He even helped administer medications. Later he sent a thank you e-mail to me and my boss saying what a great job I'd done. I was a new nurse at that point and it meant so much to me.

--Another Oncology patient found out his stomach cancer was no longer treatable. He and his wife had two young boys. It was gut wrenching. Over several months we had gotten to know one another fairly well. Rather than feel sorry for himself, he stopped by the gift shop and bought ME flowers to thank ME for being there for him and his wife.

--As a staff bonding thing, they put up poster boards for each employee in the break room and we were all to leave messages for one another. One of the young med techs wrote on mine that he wished he had a mom like me b/c he saw me w/ my kids and thought I was a great mom.

--The wife of one of my first hospice patients sent me a fruit basket to the hospice office after her husband (my pt.) died. It meant so much b/c I was brand new to hospice and still feeling really unsure of myself. I was ready to quit and it gave me enough of a confidence boost to stick around.

--When a pt. greets you with an excited smile and says, "I'm so happy you are my nurse again tonight!"

--Coworkers that you respect saying they want you as their nurse if they are ever in the hospital.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Oct 6, 2014

School nurse here:

When I run into former students who say "You know I wasn't really sick all the time I spent in your office, right? I just needed a place to chill and you were there for me"