Monday, October 26, 2009

What? A touching and beautiful moment in the ER?

Aw. Right after my week of the most annoying ass family members in the entire world, I probably had the sweetest one I have ever seen. I had a little lady in her eighties come in with her grandson, who was probably in his late 20's- they lived together and had been watching the football game together when she had a seizure- he called EMS and followed them to the hospital in the rain. He never left her bedside unless she was asleep. He was genuinely attentive to her every need- he helped her go to the bathroom without thinking twice about it, he helped me steer the bed and lift her on and off the CT table- some people you can tell are doing stuff like this because they're trying to be nice to the nurse or because they don't know what else to do- with him, you could tell it was really because she was his entire world. I took care of her for a good part of the night, and when I finally discharged her and took her out to his truck, I sat and watched him gently lift her up into the passenger's seat and arrange all the blankets around her so she stayed warm, and it was genuinely one of the most touching things I've seen in my entire career. It brought tears to my eyes. I told him what a great job he was doing taking care of her, and how I wished everyone I took care of had a family member like him. I think he thought I was referring to how much he was able to help me with everyday nursing stuff- but it really wasn't that at all. It just felt so wonderful to finally see- after all the abused and neglected nursing home patients, after the full code, advanced Alzheimer's patients with families that never visit, after all the ugly and selfish parts of humanity I see from day to day- a patient with real needs going home to someone who not only would take care of them but who someone genuinely loved them with everything they had. They say in nursing that you see the absolute best and the absolute worst side of mankind. This was one of the few times that I can genuinely say that I saw the best.

1 comment:

  1. your story made tears come to my eyes.... i have seen that good part of humanity too...and that is what gets me through the bad parts... :)

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