Care Assistants and the Patient...

Dear journal,


At the start of this shift, I went to the lounge and asked 2 Patient Care Assistants to help me position the patient on his back because a doctor was already inside the room ready to do abdominal and pelvic ultrasound. One of them said, "Why is it that you are going to position your patient now? We have just started our duty and here you are again." I explained to them once more that the patient needs to be on his back for the ultrasound. I waited for them in the room, but to my dismay, nobody came.

My spirit went low and was really disapppointed. I did not ask them something that was beyond their scope of work. I asked them in a nice manner, too, but they still opted not to do their job. Ate Haidee once told me that one of her weaknesses is to ask favor from others, which is why she does everything she can do instead of asking someone to do it for her. I can understand why she does this. I understand her perfectly well.

After one hour, something else happened...
I went inside the patient's room and asked him how he was doing. He was my patient before and was just re-admitted in ICU the other day. Yesterday, I wasn't to talk to him because he was really so sick. I did not even see him opened his eyes the entire night. Today, he seems to be a llittle bit well. I took the opportunity to tell him how happy I am to see that he is doing better than yesterday. Unexpectedly, he told me this:

"You know, there are 2 types of nurses; there are those who just do their work, and leave the hospital after everything has been done, but there are also those nurses who work with their heart. You, you work with your heart. Thank you..."
Things like this give me this sense of fulfillment that no material thing can ever suffice. I do not pride myself of being the best or even near that place, but at least I know that when I work, I make sure that the patient feels that I somehow care. And I think, when we touch our patients, they can feel our intentions; that sets the good staff from the bad ones.

What if the coin turned and you became the patient? What will you feel if the nurse doesn't turn you every 2 hours? How about if the nurse speaks to you in a rude way? This time, imagine you are taking care of your mother. Will you give her her medications on time? Will you do skin and mouth care regularly? Will you handle her with gentle touch and compassionate care?

We don't have to be Einsteins or be Clark Kents to be good nurses; we just have to have the heart for our job. 
Ergo, I think, if all of us could just think of our patients as someone dear to us, we would all be doing the best to give them the care that they truly deserve. 

Remember, lightning could strike anytime...