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Nurse Stories, Part Five: Take My Hand...(By Louisiana M. Sandusky, R.N.) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Monday, July 12, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
Another series of events that have occurred during Louisiana's tenure as a nurse at a large metropolitan hospital. (She is seriously considering on doing a book about some of her experiences as a nurse.)
I have had to learn to put up with so much in my career as a registered nurse (RN), and it is a wonder that I haven't burned out by now.
Yet, whenever I see people who are in need of aid or comfort, I somehow feel compelled to help them in their time of need, and I want to let them know that I do care for them.
I have seen it all; nothing seems to faze me anymore. I have seen families wiped out by accidents, the effects of drugs or alcohol on humans (or even some animals; one time a man brought in his cat, who had gotten into some booze), people with parts of their bodies missing, the effects of violence or gang activity on both the gang members or the innocent bystanders who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, drownings, heart attacks, or other respiratory/cardiac-related emergencies, suicide attempts, overdoses, psychotic events where the patient in question has totally flipped out, and child, spousal, or elder abuse. One never knows what will come into those emergency room doors; but when the s*** DOES hit the fan, we'd best be ready, in case we get hit hard with case after case!
As a nurse, I have had to learn to remain calm under pressure, and one can't lose their cool when dealing with people, no matter how horrible or how belligerent they may become. One has to be professional at all times, and when you are dealing with sick or injured people, they are not at their best, and they may act out in fear or anger, or a combination of both; or they may become downright nasty because they have nobody else to vent their anger or fear on. Or their judgement may be impaired because of booze, drugs, or because they may have mental problems. I have also had to deal with people with chronic or fatal illnesses or conditions, or people who don't speak English; and I have had to translate for my fellow nurses who don't speak a foreign language. Spanish is a very common language that I face as a nurse, but thank GOD I know enough Spanish to be able to communicate with my non-English speaking patients, and I can tell their family in their native language just how their loved one is doing, thus bridging the communication gap. This helps both myself and the patient, and somehow the tensions are always released. (I also know French--my native tongue--, German, some Korean, some Vietnamese, and some Japanese, in addition to English, which is my other native language. [I grew up speaking both French and English.])
When a patient is scared, I try to ease their fears by holding their hand, or by stroking their cheek or forehead; anything to try to calm their jangled nerves; and I also talk reassuringly to them, in the hopes of calming them down somewhat. I also let them know that I am there for them, and if they need anything, to just get a hold of me, and I will be at their side as soon as possible. I also try to make them laugh by telling them a joke or a funny story, especially if they are undergoing a painful or uncomfortable procedure. I am a great believer in humor, and nothing pleases me more than to have one of my patients break out into laughter or a smile. I know it is hard to smile when one is sick or hurting, but I try anything to try to ease their fears, and to try to bring some pleasantries during their hospital stay.
Yet things don't always go as planned (see my previous entries "Death Never Takes A Holiday", "Hospital Vigil", and "Hang On, Baby..." as well as Gloria Trainor's entry, "C.P.R.!"), and things can--and usually DO--happen when one least expects it. Patients can quickly deterioate before your very eyes, and it takes all your skills and wits to try to save their lives; and sometimes death wins the upper hand, and the patient you fought so hard to save ends up dying anyway. Death is a part of life as life itself, but no matter how many times you face it or how many times it happens, one is never fully prepared. It is especially disconcerting when the patient is a child or a young baby. It doesn't make sense when infants or children die; you don't expect a child or an infant to die, but they do, and when it does, the mood is dark for days; and it always takes time before anyone recovers from the shock of seeing a baby or a child die, even with all your best efforts in trying to save that young life.
It is also hard when adults die, but somehow, when a child dies, it takes longer to get over it, and there are instances that I have faced that I don't think I will ever forget, such as that young baby who died after his father put him into the freezer, or the little girl, aged two, who died after she got attacked by two pit bulls, or the set of siblings who died in that house fire. But perhaps the worst times is when the person happens to be one you know. When I see a friend of mine or one of my own children come into the hospital, suddenly the urgency takes on a whole new meaning, and I am trying like hell not to panic or become unglued as I try to help my friend or family member. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to scream or panic when I see the familiar face of my own daughter as she gasps for air or is being assisted with her breathing or see my own son shaking in yet another full-body seizure. I want to scream: "DO SOMETHING!" or try to do the heroic meaures myself, anyting in order to save my child or my friend.
Yes, I have had to put up with so much as a nurse, but as I mentioned earlier, I feel compelled to help people whenever they are sick, injured, or dying, and if I can just relieve their fears or their sufferings for a little while, then all is worth it, and I am then glad to be doing all of this for a living.
~Louisiana Sandusky, R.N., Nashville (TN) Memorial Hospital.
(Written on Monday, July 12, 2004, at 11:52 a.m., C.S.T.)
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I have had to learn to put up with so much in my career as a registered nurse (RN), and it is a wonder that I haven't burned out by now.
