The End

In nursing, sometimes no matter what we do, our patient is not meant to get over whatever is making them ill.  I dealt with this a lot when I worked on the floor, in the unit, and in the nursing home.  I had yet to deal with this situation in the cath lab. Until today.

My patient today was young, in his mid 50's. The doctors did everything they could think of. Drips were opened wide, the Impala (like a balloon pump) was used, stents were placed, the patient was intubated. No matter what we did, it was not enough. I will not get into the gruesome details. In the end, we were unable to get him back. 

I know that everything was done possible. And I understand that when it is your time, you will go. I also know that people have different ways of coping with their stress.  I witnessed some forms of coping that were inappropriate. It upsets me that nurses sometimes forget that our patients are human. They have loved ones, lived a life, worked.  We need to show respect and protect the dignity of those around us. Which is what I tried to do.

What did I learn today? I learned that I hope I never lose my compassion for the human nature. I do not want to become desensitized to what happens in my work.

There is a dignity in dying that doctors should not dare to deny.
-unknown

Another Day Done

Part of life is flexibility. I had a day off from both jobs today. It was going to be a wonderful day filled with shopping, present wrapping, and random idle relaxation.  Instead, I recieved a call at 8 this morning.  It seemed that my main job had a large need for some extra hands. So, I said sure.

In the few hours that I worked, I stayed very busy.  My room had a STEMI patient, who ended up on a balloon pump, intubated, and had multiple arteries that needed fixed. While some of my team mates ran around (myself included more than I would like to admit), other people knew just what to do and when.  They had experience in this area and knew how to roll with the punches, ensuring that the patient was safe and the job was done well. After a little bit, I followed suit. I prioritized my jobs and ensured that the patient was safe.

As I was leaving work, I had many people thank me for coming in.  Their simple words made me feel like I had made a difference. Everyone likes some reassurance that their actions were not in vain.  I feel like my work family appreciates me. This is how we should strive to make our co-workers feel. There is the golden rule "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is a good lesson to take from our life.

I was still able to do my shopping. Wrapping will have to wait for a later time, but that is okay with me. I can't say that I like wrapping too much anyways. I suppose the lessons for today are: observe others and follow their lead with difficult situations when they have the experience and outcomes you desire, prioritize the activities in your life, flexibility is a good aspect to have in your life, and show others what they mean to you.

"Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you.Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it." - Ralph Marston

Stepping Up

Education and learning are things that never end.  I have always said that the day I do not learn something is the day I change what is going on in my life.  It is important that we learn from our mistakes, the mistakes of others, and the information available to us.This can be in our social, personal, and professional settings.

Yesterday, I was called in to work. Let me tell you just a bit about this job. I work as a cardiac cath lab nurse. I circulate cases, scrub, and monitor them. We have to take call every so often to ensure that our community's needs are met. Normally, I circulate since I tend to take call with my co-workers who are techs. So, I was called in to work yesterday. Our patient? A 34 year old woman who was scared, having a racing heart, and chest pain so bad she had passed out.

As a circulator, you are in charge of watching vital signs, giving conscious sedation, reassuring the patient, maintaining a sterile field, and ensuring the physician has all he needs. My patient was terrified. She wanted more reassurance that everything was going to be ok. Right before the procedure, she asked me to hold her hand and pray. I did as she asked, then she smiled at me and said thank you. Her coronaries were beautiful and the physician was looking towards a viral infection or some other cause for her discomfort. After everything was over with, she hugged me tight and told me thank you.

I learned that sometimes, the best reassurance a nurse can give is the human emotions and interactions.  People do not always want the cold hard facts, statistics, or empty promises of everything being good.  Physical contact and a few simple, heartfelt words made the difference to this woman. I began thinking that this would make the difference to me as well. 

"To do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; is to be a nurse. Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter's or sculptor's work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God's spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts." ~Florence Nightingale