As nurses, sometimes we forget what it is like to not
have a routine. As a nurse, we run from
room to room, doing routine procedures, and doing what is in the best interest
for the care of our patients. This
obviously works, as nurses take care of a multitude of patients every year, and
do a good job. On occasion, do you ever
wish you could see things from the eyes of a patient? How do they feel, how do they see the
nurses?
Patient A
Patient A was admitted at 11:45 pm after spending 6
hours in the emergency department. She
had a severe headache, and was dizzy, unable to walk without holding something
to maintain her balance. At 53 years of
age, doctors wanted to be sure she had not suffered from a stroke. Patient A had been under the weather with a cold,
and she was pretty sure her conditions were from that, however, her husband and
doctors wanted to rule out something more serious. Patient A was rolled into her room, and her
stay began.
Patient A describes her stay- I was exhausted, all of
those hours in the ER, pain meds, and still in pain, I just wanted to
sleep. I got into the room around
midnight, and was in bed about 10 minutes when my nurse came to do an
intake. 35 minutes later my nurse
finished, and I laid down to go to sleep.
I just drifted off, and in come a lab technician to draw blood. A half of an hour later I was just about
asleep, when my nurse came to check my vital signs. As she was leaving the room, she was very
kind, asking if she could get me anything.
I was tired, grumpy, and in pain, so I answered, yes, sleep. An hour later, my IV bag was empty and the
beeping began. That was taken care of,
but 30 minutes later it was time for another vitals check. My whole night went on like this. Of course I understand they have to do their
job, and everyone was super nice, so I could not complain on that note, but I
am exhausted. Morning came pretty early,
and I felt better, still slightly dizzy; however I expected to be
released. A doctor came by and told me I
needed an MRI. I’ve never been sick
much, and I was pretty sure I did not want an MRI. I questioned the doctor, what is an MRI
anyway. I was sorry I asked, I got a
very lengthy technical explanation, and I still had no idea was I was in
for. Thankfully, my nurse came in right
after the doctor. I asked her about the
MRI, and she explained it all to me in terms I could understand. All turned out well, no abnormalities on the
MRI, and I was released later that day.
After spending the night in the hospital, I learned a couple things,
number one, don’t expect to get a lot of sleep, and number two, thank God for
nurses.
Patient B describes his stay- I went in for knee
surgery, and I was not a happy camper. I
was irritable, actually downright mean.
The second day I was there I came to a conclusion, nurses are
saints. I’d be rude, and uncooperative,
and the three nurses I had would be kind, maybe they were trying to kill me
with kindness, I don’t know, but they treated me as if I was the sweetest guy
they’d ever met. I finally gave up the
attitude, and started to appreciate the care I was receiving. During my 4 day stay, I saw the doctor about
20 minutes in total, but those nurses were literally with me 24/7, for anything
I needed, no matter how small. I still
don’t like hospitals, but I can't say enough good things about nurses.
These were from two different patients, you never
really know how the patient feels, or if they will be a delight, or a patient
from, well, not a nice place. The one
thing that is truly amazing is, upon speaking with numerous patients, with very
diverse personalities, it's very clear to see that regardless of how kind or
difficult a patient may be, the nurse treats them all the same, with the best
care and compassion nurses are known for.
Patients come and go, nurses have many patients during
a month. While it's difficult to
remember every patient, many patients remember the nurse that provided care for
them, for the rest of their lives, they leave that great of an impact.
Tips to Make Patients More at Ease
When admitting a patient, if they are new to hospital
stays, plan to spend a little extra time explaining and answering
questions. Be sure to allow time for
them to ask questions, and assure them no question is silly. This is their
body, and they have a right to be nervous.
Odds are, as a nurse, you will forget the patient, and odds are, the
patient will never forget you.
Related: International Nurses Association
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