Monday, October 22, 2007

Tables Turned

Okay, I have posted in a while because I've actually been a patient. I was at a branch of my Hospital but closer to my house for the last week with a severe anemic attack (H&H 4.3/12.8). Most of the time I was groggy but when I was lucid, I noticed that of all the nurses I had...I only connected with one. Everyone just came to do their job, answer the call bell and leave at the end of their shift. Noone even talked to me as a person...I was the patient in 305B.

Yuck, yuck, yuck! If ever this does realign my outlook towards nursing, I always knew that my ability to connect with patients was something they appreciated, but from the inside looking out now I get it. You're stuck in a world out of your control, constantly bothered for vital signs and assessments, rarely if ever getting a shower that you so desperately crave and wishing that you could get out of this purgatory before you picked up some other disease. You are stuck watching reruns on tv...no cable mind you, and your room mate screams out in distress 24/7.

So many people wander in and out of your room and yet all of them are still strangers to you. Your family rarely stops by so the only consolation you have is reading last week's newspaper or counting ceiling tiles.

When the tables got turned, it really made me wish that I had a nurse as fabulous as I was.

3 comments:

Rae said...

geez vixen...sounds awful! i hope your hubby was able to be there a little bit at least...feel better soon!

Jenna said...

i often wonder what it would be like to be a patient where I work, but I don't really want to experience it. I'd also hope for a nurse like me!

NocturnalRN said...

And this will just reinforce why you will be that great nurse every chance you get. I hope you are feeling better!