"Hello! My name is Siobhan, and I am going to be your nurse today!" I cannot tell you all how surreal it felt to be able to say these words for the first time. Once I officially got my nursing license there was no more standing in the shadow of a preceptor or instructor. There is something so special about being able to fully take on the responsibility of caring for my patients. I loved my preceptors, but being on my own has opened a whole new world of opportunity when it comes to making connections.
Make a connection! This is something I learned when I worked customer service. Even at the cash register, it made all the difference if I found some small way to connect with the person in front of me. When I am in the hospital, I like to find something that my patients are interested in. One day I bonded with a little girl over her love of everything Encanto. We played silly games with her toys and talked about Bruno knocking on the walls and who our favorite characters were. When the little girl had to go through a small procedure she smiled nervously and told me she was going to be "strong like Luisa!" It was so sweet and adorable, and it made for a great distractor. Finding some small way to connect can mean everything to your patient!
Connecting with my patients is something that is essential for me. From the moment I walk into a patient's room, I am setting the stage for the rest of my shift. It can make the world of difference to both me and my patients if I enter the room with a positive spirit and a compassionate heart. Since COVID, I feel like it has become easier to slip into bad habits when it comes to interacting with people. Masks cover up our faces, hiding our expressions and acting as a wall between us.
We may think this lets us off the hook when it comes to looking our patients in the eyes and welcoming them with a smile. I like to instead see mask as a challenge and further motivation to be extra intentional in how I relate to my patients. Smile with your eyes, communicate with your body language, and use the precious gifts of touch and compassionate, active listening.
Show that you truly feel what your patients are going through. "I just wanted to thank you for REALLY caring. It means so much." These words warm my heart. Yes, nurses can technically walk through all the motions and perform the required tasks without truly CARING for their patients. Remember, our patients are not just room numbers or sources of our to-do-lists. The child in front of you is their parents' world, and they are a person in need of so much more than medications and flowsheets. There are healthy boundaries that must be in place when you are performing patient care, but there are also endless opportunities to make the hospital stay a little brighter, a little more enjoyable, and a lot more personal.
Reach out to your patients, even when it is HARD. I don't think many people realize how often nurses face the brunt of patients' frustration. I've been cursed, yelled at and told flat out by families that they don't like me at all. I've definitely learned to build up some tough skin as a nurse! It can be incredibly frustrating; I'm certainly not downplaying that! Still, recognizing that people are taking their hurt, anger and confusion out on you because you are the only person there is essential. It doesn't excuse them or make the problem go away completely, but it does allow you to understand that the angry words aren't truly directed at you as a person. The pain and helplessness that families feel when their worlds are falling apart can cause them to say things they never would otherwise. I will say at times laughter can be the best medicine. If a family calls the police on you because you don't bring a sprite into the room fast enough, all you can do is laugh and move on!!
Lean on your coworkers. There are moments when you will just need to open up to someone who understands. You may have had a really hard interaction with an angry family. You may have had a patient touch your heart in a way you just can't process on your own. You may have some frustration you just need to release. My precious coworkers and I have laughed, cried, commisserated and celebrated together, all at different times but never alone. Patients aren't the only ones who need healing, and at times your fellow nurses can be a precious balm for your spirit.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end--John 13:1
Jesus is truly the sweetest example of loving, compassionate connection. Even when His own turned away from Him and disowned Him, He loved them to the end. If Jesus could love those who hated, cursed, and ultimately killed Him, shouldn't we be expected to love the people God has placed in our lives?! Serve others with a spirit of love and gentleness, and you will experience a tiny taste of the immense sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. We must love to the end, clinging to the promise that our Savior will do the same for us. Hold onto this promise this week, dear friends!
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