What's the nicest thing a patient has done for you?

flashpoint · Jun 21, 2011

We had a lady come to the ER a couple of weeks ago for a pretty minor issue. Since we were really slow that night, I sat and visited with her while we were waiting for her lab results to come back. We talked about hobbies and she talked about how much she liked doing beadwork. I told her how much I like beads and that I have done a few projects that I really liked. Yesterday, she showed up at the hospital with a HUGE box of beading supplies…she can't use them because her eyesight is too bad. I told her that I appreciated the thought, but I can't accept them and the administrator, who overheard the conversation, came over and told me I can't refuse them. The patient said that was good, because she wasn't taking them home and if I didn't take them, they were going to the dump.

There is probably $500 worth of beads and findings…I sent her a thank you note and a gift certificate for a local restaurant that I know she likes. Such a nice lady!

audiothologist · Jun 22, 2011

Hug me and told me I am already a nurse and no school or person could change that.

I've had this happen 3 times in my life.

First was a pt in an ED who came in with a simple tib/fib fracture but the nurses would not talk to her or beleive a word she said because she had a history of being a pathologic lier and a manipulative person. I sat and talked ot her and made sure she was happy and comfortable the entire time she was in the ED. She told me no one had ever treated her like a human, not since she was a teenager on the streets. She actually hugged me in the ED and told me that in her eyes I am more of a nurse then anyone around her has ever been and that I would change the face of healthcare.

Second was a teenage driver in a car accident in which her friend died. While,she felt, everyone else was deamonizing her for a simple mistake (driving fast on an icey road), I sought her out, and made sure she was okay and comforted her and listened to her. She had a broken collar bone (not a major injury) but she was in psychological and spiritual distress from the car accident and her friend dying next to her. She hugged me the best she could with a broken collar bone and told me I was her nurse no matter what anyone else ever said.

Last was a man dying in a nursing home (I wasn't working at the nursing home, just a visiting ombudsman). I felt like no one was paying attention ot him (and so did he). I sat down and helt his hand and jsut listened to him. The lalst words he said were "I wish you were my nurse, you actually cared about me enough to listen." I found out he hadn't talked since his got diagnosed with whatever killed him. He spiritually hugged me, I felt an energy (a warmth) fill me that I still feel to this day.

Just goes to show you sometimes we, as medical professionals, don't listen as much as we should.

At none of these times was I a nurse. Heck I won't really be a nurse till I pass my NCLEX.

jones.rn · Jun 23, 2011

I love when my eldery patient pats my hand, gives me a wink, and tell their family member "I'll be fine, I have a good nurse today"

shupagirl · Jun 23, 2011

An old female patient pressed the call light and I responded saying, "Can I help you?" She goes, I like you so I wrote a song for you with my name. I smiled, she smiled, it brightened up both of our day! :)

LVN_it1995, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2011

Working as an LVN in sub acute/ltc and a particular lady everytime, I mean 8/10 times I walked into the room during evening shift, she would start to call out in a loud voice, not caring who heard her, "Help me Lord, Help me Jesus, Please Lord, Lord, help me Lord!"

I reassured her almost everytime 6/10 and myself that the Lord is with us and it appeared to relax her and myself.

We are, as nurses, after all a healing profession and who better to call on then the Person, known to heal. A very precious gift..

4chun_cookie · Jul 9, 2011

I once took care of a 16 year old boy for 2 nights in PICU.

the first night he was quite ill, so he was bit incoherent or asleep most of night. The second night, he was feeling much better and was awake most of the night.

I spent a few hours (between nursing duties) sitting there just talking to him to keep him company. My coworkers would ask me "why was I talking to him so much?", and I simply replied "i'm not going to ignore him if he's awake and intiating conversation".

Anyhow, on my third night shift of that stretch, he had already been discharged from our unit. I came to work and found that he had left me a paper bag with a gift in it. a small doggie stuffed animal with a hand-written note that said: "Thanks for everything. You are nothing short of amazing".

Of the few thank you cards I've gotten, I would think this is the sweetest one yet, and from a thoughtful 16 year old who's been through some tough times. :nurse:

allnurses Guide · Jul 9, 2011

When I started out as a new CNA... I stunk.

I was scared of pts, clumsy and awkward... poor time management... you know how it is.

I wasn't exactly a hit with the staff, either.

I was very discouraged.

Eventually, I said to myself, "I'll show you!"

I threw myself into my work and began to kick some major butt.

lol

I had a resident that was quite a demanding lady. Very much with it and very opinionated.

She had run out of money to stay at our facility and was moving out.

I was assigned to her the night before she left.

I worked my butt off for her and finally got her tucked into bed.

She told me she was sorry she was leaving and then told me this:

"When you first started here, I thought, 'She's never going to make it!' But you did. I have to say, you have turned out to be one of the best, if not the best, CNA in the place and I'm proud of you."

I cannot tell you how much of an impact that had on me. I still remember her words 20+ years later.

She really was the catalyst that drove me to continue to work hard and do what was right.

It was the best thing a pt ever did for me because she that when I needed to hear it most.

God bless her.

Poi Dog · Jul 19, 2011

I once took care of a 16 year old boy for 2 nights in PICU.
the first night he was quite ill, so he was bit incoherent or asleep most of night. The second night, he was feeling much better and was awake most of the night.
I spent a few hours (between nursing duties) sitting there just talking to him to keep him company. My coworkers would ask me "why was I talking to him so much?", and I simply replied "i'm not going to ignore him if he's awake and intiating conversation".
Anyhow, on my third night shift of that stretch, he had already been discharged from our unit. I came to work and found that he had left me a paper bag with a gift in it. a small doggie stuffed animal with a hand-written note that said: "Thanks for everything. You are nothing short of amazing".
Of the few thank you cards I've gotten, I would think this is the sweetest one yet, and from a thoughtful 16 year old who's been through some tough times.

That made me tear up :redpinkhe :redpinkhe

tikilpn2 · Jul 31, 2011

During clinical rotation, as a nursing student, a patient wrote me a poem after taking care of him-- but then I found out that he had also wrote 2 other nurses poems lol :)

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Aug 1, 2011

Best thing a patient has done- got well :)

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Aug 2, 2011

The mother of a 33 week Downs baby (whom I loved - er, the baby, not the mom...)...anyway, on the day the baby was being dismissed, the mom dressed her in a tie-dyed t-shirt she'd had made...on it were words that changed my life...

"I *heart* Bortaz, RN"

It almost made me cry, and I'm an old fart former corrections and law enforcement dude.

RHIA, RN · Aug 2, 2011

I agree that a simple "thank you" is the best and can completely turn a shift around.

When I worked in LTC we had a patient that would order things from Oreintal Trading and pass them out to all the nursing staff. This was at the VA so it was a lot of nurses! Sometimes he would go to the vending machines and buy sodas and candy bars for everyone. When I was new I would try to refuse and he told me "I'm not crazy. I can spend my money how I see fit. My kids don't come see me, you ladies take care of me. I'll go to administration and tell them that I choose to buy y'all the moon." I never refused him again and he would tease me about it. I still have some Christmas ornaments that he gave me and I think of that man every Christmas.

Another time, I was very pregnant and a resident's daughter brought in a few quilts and asked me to pick one out for my baby. The resident was terminal, not to mention in his upper 70's and he said "I guess I won't be having anymore babies!" with a little chuckle. He passed shortly after and I received a nice note from administration stating that his family was very happy with the care that I provided.