nurse patient

*** WARNING***
this post may include what sounds like bragging. pardon. but i like/need to remember the few compliments i receive for the days i feel like crap and hate my job.

i've now taken care of the nurse patient for thirteen 12 hour shifts. that is 156 hours (that is more time than i've spent with anyone else in the last month). in 156 hours, i have administered a lot of IV antibiotics. flushed liters of chemo toxic urine. infused bags of blood and platelets. and shared many a meaningful conversations with a mom, wife, daughter, and nurse. she's more than just my patient; she's human. and she is vulnerable.

hence, getting a compliment from the nurse patient means a lot. not just because she is a nurse. but because in thirteen 12 hour shifts, this patient has likely seen me at some of my best AND my not-so-best nursing demonstrations. case in point - the other day i was teaching a new nurse how to complete a blood draw. i did all the tasks i was supposed to do prior (flush with 9cc of saline, waste 9cc of blood, attach a vacutainer, blah, blah, blah) and all of the tasks i am supposed to do post (detach the vacutainer, flush with 9cc of saline, reattach the IV, all the while keeping everything sterile). however, i forgot to draw the stupid vial of blood. idiot! i was so embarrassed! i could only laugh at myself, turn blood red, and repeat the steps - this time remembering the critical part!

anyhoo, despite my mistakes, my nurse patient likes me. it's not really a secret. she has requested that i be her nurse every time i come to work. she knows my schedule. but we don't always talk a lot during a shift. she simply trusts me and appreciates my punctuality. i make her a priority when she feels sick. and i kneel at her bedside so i don't tower over her when we are talking - so we can talk like equals.

last night, at 7:05PM when i was anxious to give report on my three patients and get the hell out of the hospital, i was still in my patient's room, cleaning her hickman (central line) and administering nausea medications. as i finished my tasks and said good night, my nurse patient said to me, "christa, you are a damn good nurse. you do good things for the world."

i went home feeling less tired, less stressed, and a bit lighter. my head was held higher and my heart a bit warmer. it feels good to do a hard job well.