Just be it!

I often wonder what kind of nurse I am going to be.  As a nursing student, sometimes I have this notion of how I will be….of course that is probably not how most will perceive me.  I want to be patient, kind, compassionate, and amazingly great at what I do!  Super Nurse…cue music!  Well, I guess in the real world no one person can posses all those qualities all of the time.  In my time at the hospital, I have encountered some wonderful nurses who emulate what nursing is all about.  Then there are the select few who could give the grim reaper himself a run for his money!  I know we encounter these types of people in all aspects of life and in all work atmospheres, but I often wonder what possesses a person to go into a field like nursing when they cannot stand working with people!
Have you ever been a patient in a hospital?  I have.  For the most part I have had exceptionally great nurses…..except for “Her.”  Every time I put my call light on (which was maybe once every six hrs for meds) this nurse made me feel as if I was the most disgusting inconvience who she had ever encountered in her entire career.  I wanted to cry.  No one ever came and checked in on me.  I was in a good amount of pain, and I remember sometimes waiting until it was almost unbearable to ask for meds.   Yes, I know she probably was very busy and of course I know I was not her only patient, but it really left an impact on me.  This made me realize that this is one of my biggest fears of being hospitalized.  Then there was “the good nurse.”  The good nurse greeted me with a smile and I remember her distinctly making eye contact with me as she asked me several questions.  I immediately felt at ease.  The good nurse made me feel that I could ask her any questions or voice any concerns that I was having about my stay.  She was very prompt, organized, and came to check on me every so often to see how I was.  She even came to tell me when she went down for lunch and when she would be back!  In my eyes…the good nurse was “Super Nurse” and that is how I will always remember her.  Funny, I don’t even recall her actual name!

Maybe it may not be possible to the perfect nurse, but for the sake of my patients, I must try…and every time I feel a grim reaper mood coming about, I will try to remember how it felt to be on the other end……  the patient.