Friday, November 9, 2012

The Little Things. . .


One thing I am seeing more and more every time I spend time in the hospital is that no one seems to have time for the little things anymore.  Nurses are so focused on assessing and documenting and administering meds and treatments that they forget about the little things.  Ironically, often times it is the little things that really make patients feel better.  Things like brushing their hair, rubbing their back, letting them talk about their loved ones (human and furry).  The treatments and medications make the disease better but the little things make the person better.  I learned this today after doing something seemingly small and hearing these words. . .

What she actually said was "Thank you for being so nice to me."  She looked right into my eyes and said that.  I think I almost cried.  I hadn't done anything crazy, I didn't bend over backwards or jump through a hoop.  I found her slippers.  I asked her about her dog.  I spoke kindly to her.  That was all.  Just some little things that made a big difference.  She had been in the hospital for FOUR days and no one took the time to find her slippers that she had purposefully brought from home to wear while she was in the hospital.  

At rounds report I heard about how cranky she was and about her mild dementia.  I never let these things stop me from being kind.  So what if she's cranky.  I can handle cranky.  And dementia must be really scary.  What's my best bet?  Just to be kind.  And for being kind I get one of the greatest rewards a nurse can possible get.  7 words.  "Thank you for being so nice to me."  At the end of the day that is why I want to be a nurse.  I want to help people.  I want to be nice to them.  I want to help make them feel better.

And so ends another week of nursing school.  November is almost half over already.  We're winding down to the final papers, ATI and final exams.  Could it be that I may actually survive this semester?  I took my 3rd pediatrics exam on Monday.  I got my grade today.  An 85.  Not bad - especially since two chapters were self taught (the exam proceeded as scheduled despite us missing 3 hours of lecture due to the hurricane) and I was sick with a terrible cold the weekend prior to and day of the exam.  When i am sick I do not sleep well or function well, never mind think clearly!  If I was rested and healthy I am sure I would have done better but that's OK.  85 is totally acceptable in my book now because NURSING SCHOOL IS HARD!  LOL!
So now onto Med Surg Exam 2 next Wednesday.  Normally I do not have classes on Wednesdays but the school has to shuffle things around a bit due to all the Monday holidays in the fall.  Therefore Wednesday classes do not meet next week, instead Monday classes meet on Wednesday.  It's confusing, I know.  
Then I have two papers to finish.  One due 11/16 and the other due 11/27 the Tuesday after Thanksgiving -- and I will be spending Thanksgiving break in Florida at LegoLand!  Therefore the paper must be done before I leave!  In addition, I have a pediatrics exam on Monday 11/26 right after the break!  GAH!  Should be fun.

I continue to be thankful for this amazing opportunity to be in nursing school and for my classmates, my patients, my professors and the nurses that take me under their wing.  I will survive!  I will survive! 

No comments:

Post a Comment