After reading 'The Other End of the Stethoscope', I really learned what it truly means to be a patient relying on nurses and doctors for their healthcare. Mark does a great job of explaining his experience and guiding nurses new and old on what things really make a difference in our patient's care. From this semester on, I plan to take Marcus's experience and utilize his words of
wisdom specific to each one of my individual patients in the future. As we continue to encounter patient's from all walks of life,
I think Marcus wants us to remember one simple, but very important thing; nursing not only requires competence, but just as important-compassion.
I haven't had an experience where I was specifically the patient's "watchdog". Although, whenever I was doing my clinicals to be a CNA, there was an Alzheimer's patient I cared for who had a baby-doll she carried around everywhere she went. This was her "watchdog" and what made her feel comfortable and safe.
I believe we have all over-apologized at some point during nursing school, but one specific incidence I encountered happened this semester.
My patient's wife had just come out of the room after her husband, and my patient, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She immediately grabbed me and began to sob. The only words I could find during this time was "I am so sorry". I must have repeated those words several times as it was what I truly felt. It may have been helpful had I said it only once and just stood there with her while she grieved.
I can't recall a specific incidence where I have "rocked the boat", but on occasion I have had to tell my nurse more than once about my patient's request that had been voiced for some time but not taken care of. I know that our floor nurses are very busy andsometimes they may become irritated with our persistance but we are the voice of our patients and it is a responsibility of us as student nurses to assure that we are acting as patient advocates.
wisdom specific to each one of my individual patients in the future. As we continue to encounter patient's from all walks of life,
I think Marcus wants us to remember one simple, but very important thing; nursing not only requires competence, but just as important-compassion.
I haven't had an experience where I was specifically the patient's "watchdog". Although, whenever I was doing my clinicals to be a CNA, there was an Alzheimer's patient I cared for who had a baby-doll she carried around everywhere she went. This was her "watchdog" and what made her feel comfortable and safe.
I believe we have all over-apologized at some point during nursing school, but one specific incidence I encountered happened this semester.
My patient's wife had just come out of the room after her husband, and my patient, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She immediately grabbed me and began to sob. The only words I could find during this time was "I am so sorry". I must have repeated those words several times as it was what I truly felt. It may have been helpful had I said it only once and just stood there with her while she grieved.
I can't recall a specific incidence where I have "rocked the boat", but on occasion I have had to tell my nurse more than once about my patient's request that had been voiced for some time but not taken care of. I know that our floor nurses are very busy andsometimes they may become irritated with our persistance but we are the voice of our patients and it is a responsibility of us as student nurses to assure that we are acting as patient advocates.