rainbows and unicorns

40 amid all the frustrations, i thought it might be cool to have a topic about positive things that happen at work. it can be anything, from big to small.

what happened at work today that was good? was there a bright spot in the whirling sea of c-diff and paperwork?

mine yesterday was having a patient who was listening to swing music in her room. (i LOVE swing dancing so i was all nerding out here.) we talked about music while i did her treatments and she wasn't familiar with much electro-swing at all, so i recommended some youtube playlists. after lunch she was listening to it and was like 'this is great; i had no idea!' double yay because i made someone happy with awesome new music, and her room was right near the nurses' desk so i got to listen to it while i charted.

anyone else?
what happened at work today that was good? was there a bright spot in the whirling sea of c-diff and paperwork?

My patients I got back were actually happy to see me. I'm on nights right now and end up waking them up for vitals, meds, and turns, so them wanting to see me is an accomplishment in my book.

After finishing up my duties and chatting with my patient, I stepped out of the room. I realized I forgot something in the room, so I went back in a minute later. The patient had his eyes closed but opened them upon hearing me enter. He said, "I was just saying a prayer for you." I thought, here is this sick man, stuck in the hospital, and yet he is thinking of me. How selfless. Another time I had a teenage patient who was in as a OD make me a really sweet pencil-drawn card. He appreciated that I had spent the time to listen to him and discuss his choices and future. Most OD patients are in no mood or just don't want to hear it, but this kid was really receptive and it seemed he truly wanted to change his life. I'll keep it forever. I've thought about keeping a personal nursing journal to keep mementos and remember moments in my career like these by.

Back at the beginning of the summer, I admitted an 18 y/o young lady who had had a freak accident at her own graduation party. It was a penetrating head trauma, and she was very fortunate and was neuro intact this whole time and she ended up going to the floor the next day. Early that morning, I was showing her dad how to get to the cafeteria since my hospital is big and confusing (several attached buildings, several elevators). As we were walking down the hall, he said "Thanks for everything. C was saying she was really glad you were her nurse last night." Made me feel good

I had a 44 YO early onset Alzheimer patient, non-verbal, ambulatory. She never once had facial expressions of pleasure or pain--she could barely swallow. She was almost all gone except for being able to walk (supervised). One day, an outside organization brought in small baby farm animals--goats, sheep, bunnies--and the pt. rose from her chair and walked over to them, stroked them and petted them, and smiled and laughed.She had light that day. She laughed and smiled and pet those animals for a good half hour. It was pure joy to witness.

Quote from monkeyhqI had a 44 YO early onset Alzheimer patient, non-verbal, ambulatory. She never once had facial expressions of pleasure or pain--she could barely swallow. She was almost all gone except for being able to walk (supervised). One day, an outside organization brought in small baby farm animals--goats, sheep, bunnies--and the pt. rose from her chair and walked over to them, stroked them and petted them, and smiled and laughed.She had light that day. She laughed and smiled and pet those animals for a good half hour. It was pure joy to witness.

Quote from monkeyhqI had a 44 YO early onset Alzheimer patient, non-verbal, ambulatory. She never once had facial expressions of pleasure or pain--she could barely swallow. She was almost all gone except for being able to walk (supervised). One day, an outside organization brought in small baby farm animals--goats, sheep, bunnies--and the pt. rose from her chair and walked over to them, stroked them and petted them, and smiled and laughed.She had light that day. She laughed and smiled and pet those animals for a good half hour. It was pure joy to witness.

I had a patient a few weeks ago who really should have been on the floor but they were dragging their feet getting him transferred out of the ICU. I had to take him down to dialysis and he had a lot of anxiety and probably some neuo deficits from cardiac arrest, but for the most part he was alert and oriented, just very child like. So I drop him off, get him set up, and held his hand to tell him I'll be back to get him in a few hours and he squeezed my hand and wouldn't let go. It was super sweet, and I knew that me being there alleviated just a little bit of his anxiety. It's the little things every now and then that remind me why I became a nurse.

Had the sweetest teenage boy last night, just a total doll. I love teenage patients. Seeing kids becoming young men and women, it's so great when you see it going well!

Someone said thank you in the ER.

When an agitated patient, threatening severe physical violence, receives emergency meds and possibly restraints; comes up on his own (hours later or the next day) and delivers a sincere, spontaneous apology for the loss of control.

I was admitting a 4 month old from the OR after her second surgery for single-ventricle physiology. I talk to myself as a means of organizing my thoughts- after letting my families know this! I was getting her all tucked in, checking the SIX drips she was on, vent settings, drains etc, etc.Mom says to me, "I almost cried when they told me you'd be her nurse tonight. I think I might even go sleep off the unit."Mom said to her sister "It is so reassuring to me that Mary says all the things she's thinking out loud. It makes me feel so much better that she is paying attention to it all and getting her game plan in place."