Thank you....all of you

76 I posted this story in an unrelated thread earlier. I really want to say this directly to each of you who puts your heart and soul into taking care of your patients, especially if you are feeling burned out, used up, worn down, cynical or frustrated in general at work.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. What you do matters. In most cases, your efforts matter far more than you'll ever know because few people bother to tell you how important what you do is.

I am speaking from personal experience on the other side of the bedrails here. In April of 2000, I was hit by a very sudden and very acute case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Less than 24 hours from the first signs of numbness in my hands and feet, I was paralyzed completely and lying in an ICU bed with a ventilator at the ready next to me. I couldn't move anything below my neck for the first eight weeks. I escaped the vent, but had Q2 breathing treatments around the clock for nearly six weeks. I experienced patient care up close and personal in the ER, the ICU (two weeks), med-surge floor (four weeks) and skilled nursing/inpatient rehab (eight weeks).

I cannot begin to describe the impact that every person - and the attitude they brought with them - who came through my hospital door, whether they were a doctor, a nurse, a tech/CNA, RT, PT, OT, housekeeping, whatever, had on my mental and emotional well-being, which then impacted my will to recover physically.

I was 30 years old. With a ten-month old baby I couldn't hug or even hold. I was a very independent and busy person with a great nonprofit job and a lot of community involvement - and all of a sudden I couldn't do a damn thing for myself.

I wasn't a difficult patient. I never wanted to inconvenience anyone, so I rarely called the nurses station (which I had to do by blowing on a straw-like attachment to the bed, since I couldn't move my arms). That said, I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't turn in bed. When my period came, I couldn't clean myself up. Hell, the first couple of months, I had no idea when my bowels moved. The nurses and techs/CNAs who were gracious about cleaning me up will never be forgotten. Neither will those who rolled their eyes, made faces, muttered nasty comments under their breath. There but for the grace of God go them....I had no idea I would wake up paralyzed one day. None of us do.

The Golden Rule ought to be taped to the front of every patient chart and tacked to every breakroom bulletin board and recited at every staff meeting at every hospital in the world, as far as I'm concerned.

I laid in bed and cried tears of relief and gratitude after a traveling nurse with a three hour drive home ahead of her stayed an extra hour one night and bathed me from head to toe and washed my hair after I had gathered three weeks worth of motionless summer sweat on a sheetless air mattress. There are no words to describe how much her kindness meant to me. I decided that night that I wanted to be a nurse and I promised myself that I would never make a genuinely sick or hurt patient feel bad about needing assistance.

Tomorrow will mark eight years since I was hospitalized with GBS and the start of a very long battle back to the land of the living. This September, I finally start nursing school. I've been a hospital tech for going on two years now and - while my sense of empathy is definitely tested from time to time, I'm happy to say that I still feel deep compassion for the patients I care for. And I want to tell every one of you who still feels that compassion and finds the strength to smile and show empathy to your patients - especially the difficult ones - that you are wonderful, and you are appreciated.



The positive patient survey and the proactive bit of praise from management are both on the endangered species list where most of us work. I don't know if my ramblings here will give anyone a lift, but I know I speak for a lot of patients who regret not saying thank you to those who helped them through some of the roughest times of their lives. Last edit by southlandshari on Apr 23, '08
This is the coolest thing I have read in a long, long time.GOD BLESS YOU for taking a situation that would have embittered a lot of people and turning it into something incredible and powerful and positive.Godspeed in your studies. You are something else, honey.heartbeatheartbeatheartbeatheartbeat

Quote from Penny8611This is the coolest thing I have read in a long, long time.GOD BLESS YOU for taking a situation that would have embittered a lot of people and turning it into something incredible and powerful and positive.Godspeed in your studies. You are something else, honey.heartbeatheartbeatheartbeatheartbeat

thanks for sharing your story. with an attitude like yours, you'll do great in nursing school! take care and good luck

Quote from RisStudentRNBSNthanks for sharing your story. with an attitude like yours, you'll do great in nursing school! take care and good luck

Thank you, southlandshari, for sharing your story with us.I'm so happy for you that you are/have recovered and are on your way to realising your goals.I wish you every success and happiness in your future and may you achieve much deserved success with your nursing studies.Be sure to visit here often. There's a wealth of wisdom here collectively. People are always willing to help and share their knowledge. Bless you and your family.

What an inspirational story!!! Thanks for sharing - I am ready for another 12 hour day - hoping to be like the nurses who cared for you - making a difference!!!

Thank you so much for your post. I'm in tears to be reminded how much some of the mundane things we do mean to patients - and that some really are appreciative.I wish you all the best in nursing school and remember we are always here to help or be a shoulder to vent/cry on.

Quote from southlandshari The positive patient survey and the proactive bit of praise from management are both on the endangered species list where most of us work. I don't know if my ramblings here will give anyone a lift, but I know I speak for a lot of patients who regret not saying thank you to those who helped them through some of the roughest times of their lives.

Wow, stories like this energizes me more as a nurse. I just finished reading a book (Bed number ten) about one patient with the same illness hospital experience. I think it will be a good idea for you to read it if you had not already. With your experience, I'm sure you will be a very good nurse some day. I wish you all the best of luck in nursing school.

With tears in my eyes, I pray that God will continue to bless you. Always follow your heart, and no matter what "everyone else does" you have been there and done that. Good luck in nursing school.

Thanks for sharing!

I absolutely LOVE reading stories like this.........the triumph from despair that leads to a kind soul joining our ranks. The absolute best nurses come from those who have experiences like yours, because you know what it's like to be a patient. Congratulations on your acceptance to nursing school, and hugs to you.