Thursday, February 19, 2009

Change of Shift - Valentines Edition! 3.17

I hope you all had a beautiful Valentine's Day. I'll just jump straight to the point here - I absolutely hate Valentine's Day. Yes, I'm happily engaged to my soulmate, and no, it's not his fault. I think it has a little something to do with sitting in the hospital on Valentine's Day sixteen years ago... I was a little 5 year old who had spent the previous couple days being poked and prodded and even held down screaming at the top of my lungs as a doctor drilled into my bone to remove some bone marrow for testing. Every year, I try to be excited about Valentine's Day, but those memories are still so loud. I didn't know it then, but it was the end of the only 5 normal years I'd ever have and the beginning of a lifetime of excruciatingly difficult experiences.

What does this have to do with Change of Shift? Well, this is the Nursing Blog Carnival. I'd like to ask all of you nurses - and other wonderful allied health guests - to join me in remembering that little girl scared to death sixteen years ago. Every patient is that little girl. Every patient is full of emotions and questions, even the healthy ones. Every smile you see has a fair chance of being a well-maintained facade that could very well crumble to pieces when you leave the room. Every patient has a voice, but so many are too scared or intimidated to use it. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day, but I can assure you that whatever field you're in, your words and your smile can make or break a patient's day and truly change their life.

That 5 year old's first hospital experience was with her nurse. The nurse was doing all of the admitting paperwork and the little girl asked if she could please have an apple juice. Of course said the seemingly friendly nurse. But the nurse had two things when she returned - the apple juice and an IV. The little girl was petrified of that nurse for the rest of her stay. The nurse had betrayed her trust, and the little girl was sure if she asked for anything again, she'd get something bad from the nurse, too.

It's the simple things, it really, really is. And let me tell you, it doesn't end in Peds. Those adults are just as scared too. If you slow down enough to sit and see how someone is really doing, you'll be amazed how much they'll open up. You'll be shocked at how human they really are, especially as we are so used to the fast-paced healthcare system that forces us to go in and out of patient rooms with an objective and unattached mindset.

They're real people, just like you. Just like me. As cliche as it this statement is, treat each patient how you would like to be treated. You'll be amazed how the nurse-patient dynamic will drastically change. You'll be able to better help the patient with their increased openness and honesty. Can you remember to come back in an hour to check on them if that's what you promised? If not, set your watch alarm for 60 minutes. You might be the only familiar face that patient will see all day. He may be sitting there watching the clock just waiting for your smile. :)

And now, without further ado, here are our fabulous submissions:
First off Dean Moyer sent in a post about new research and the downside of physical therapy - Herniated Discs and the Catch-22 of Rehabilitation. Research is so interesting sometimes, but as many of us know, you really have to stand back and file it in with the big picture. But as he says, knowledge is power! Recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I definitely back him up on that one. And I agree with him when he says the more you know, the better you can handle the set backs.

Next, Jennifer Rotman marvels at the maintenance of the nursing field while the economy is crashing everywhere else. Check out her post, How Nurses Kept Their Jobs While Millions Lost It. It's a great post that answers a question many have wondered. Make sure you read through to the end. Isn't it humbling being in a field where we make such amazing differences sometimes?

Victoria Powell will also touch your heart with her post, I Am A Nurse. She details her journey into nursing and what she learned along the way. She talks about realizing how the simple things can make the difference in care and later states, "Find what makes your heart sing and do it." Perfectly said.

On a different note, check out Adrianne O'Brien's post on the woman who just had octuplets - Eight is (More Than) Enough. Join in the dozens of comments if you dare - what do you think about the issue? Ethical? Who's at blame? Should it even be called "blame"? The post is 2 weeks old and new information has surfaced, but still... she presents a lot of interesting ideas and questions to ponder.

Once again, NurseConnect bloggers stepped up to the plate and sent in some great posts! Nurse Laura posted Breathing Life into our Practice and reminds us to take the advice we so frequently give our patients - Take a deep breath! Nurse Kathy posted Job Shadow which will definitely make you laugh. I'm in the final run of my nursing degree so I had to chuckle... it was job shadowing day and she agreed to show two girls around and tell them about the career. They had a great day, but not for reasons you would expect!!

On a more serious note, Mark, a paramedic, submitted an endearing post on a patient dying on the back of his ambulance - ECG (part 1). Such a human story of life and what matters when we realize we may be at the end. And bonus - a chance to review your EKG skills! :)

PRN Penguin shared Found in Translation, a moving post on trying to bridge the language-gap. Actions speak louder than words, and genuine care and concern can translate over an cultural difference. Such a beautiful story.

A big YAY to Shrtstormtrooper for posting Magnet Ball Vitals, a little tale of her first clinical. Moral of the story? Be nice to student nurses!! :) I love those stories of our first days with patients... I sure do remember mine!

We have two posts this time from SharpBrains - one by Alvaro Fernandez, Brain Training: It Works, and It Doesn't Work, tells what to look for before buying into one of the new brain training programs and even shares a handy checklist. Secondly, Scott Barry Kaufman submitted the very fascinating Learning About Learning: An Interview with Joshua Waitzkin. The title says it all! Lots of fun info here.

Now Macho Nurse posted Keep Your Eye on the Prize, a very motivational post. I loved it. His "prize" is being a pediatric nurse, and his story was great to read. But in another respect, I want to commend him right now for "getting it." The intro to his story brought tears to my eyes at how descriptively and truly he described being a p ediatric or adolescent patient with a chronic illness. You nailed it, Macho Nurse. That little five year old me would have been honored to be such a student nurse's patient. Thank you for what you brought - and will continue to bring - to those children.

Last but not least, Kim, coordinator of the fabulous Change of Shift, has a last minute post that's definitely worth it - Absolutely Nuts or Totally Unique? We are in a unique profession, and there is so much flexibility in degrees, licenses, fields... whatever. But PhD or AA or critical care or CEO... we are ALL at the core, one thing: a nurse. A fabulous, wonderful, honorable thing.

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On a final note, PLEASE PLEASE keep submitting. Our posts numbers have been down lately, and we've been inundated with spammers hanging out on the BlogCarnival site. There are so many amazing nursing voices out there - stand up for your profession and let yours be heard! Invite us over to your blog. We can't wait to hear from YOU! :)

And...

Thanks for stopping by. :)

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PS - Big news! An aggregated feed of credible, rotating health and medicine blog carnivals is now available here. Get all the latest carnival information right in your inbox or feed reader! So easy!