The nurses make me a better doctor
This was a case that all doctors fear. I reflected deeply, I had courage and walked to my patient's room. When I came in, I saw a worried and agonizing family waiting patiently for answers. The mother was seated at the bedside with her eyes closed, her hands clinging to a rosary and her lips whispering a prayer. The patient's sister was standing by the window, staring at desperate eyes as she struggled with these coercive tears.
I approached the patient's father and I met a dark but stoic face. It was a father face engaged in a conflict between realism and hope.
I told the father that his 28 year old daughter was breathing his last. She had an extremely aggressive form of cancer that had invaded her body. My words deepened their despair and confirmed their worst fear. As the throbbing anguish and sorrow invaded the room, I wanted to pray with the mother and cry with the sister.
In the end, I offered my condolences and left the room.
I felt defeated and defeated when I went out, but I had to dial and move on to the next patient.
This case, once again, reminded me to live life to the fullest and to be recognized every day.
Finally, the patient died calmly. A few days later, I discovered what happened after I left this room and this further increased my respect for nurses.
As a doctor, I spent about 30 minutes in this room. The nurse who cared for the patient was with the family for many hours. She took care of the grieving family and provided immense comfort and emotional support.
While the patient was close to his disappearance, the family asked the nurse if they could record their daughter 's heartbeat. This was an application like no other. A request that the nurse had never addressed before and she made it her mission to accomplish it.
She asked for help from a few other nurses, and they first tried to use an innovative stethoscope that recorded the sounds. They read the manual and tried to record the heartbeat, but the attempts failed. Then after a brainstorming, they called the ground work and delivery and asked one of the nurses if they could borrow the fetal Doppler ultrasound.
The machine allows parents to hear a heartbeat of a baby during pregnancy. The situation was at the opposite end of the spectrum. My patient 's parents wanted to hear and commemorate the dynamic beating of a dying heart.
When the work nurse and busy delivery heard the details, she dropped the ultrasound itself. The ultrasound machine allowed the family to hear the heartbeats of her dead daughter and record the sounds on their phone.
The extraordinary effort of outstanding nurses has given the family a tragic but promising prospect. The viable sound of the heart reminded the family of the vigor of their daughter. He encouraged their desire to cherish his smile. This inspired a desire to protect his dreams. Although transient, the perennial rhythm gave a disoriented family a glimmer of hope.
This story highlights the exceptional qualities of nurses. As a doctor, I learn something new from my incredible nurses every day.
Unfortunately, I sometimes see that other doctors blame nurses regularly. I personally saw the nurses do not drink water all day and give liquids to a dehydrated patient in a timely manner. I saw nurses miss meals and tolerate a tirade from a patient about a cold meal while working with their own hungry.
I firmly believe that the relationship between a nurse and a doctor should be collaboration without hierarchy. It takes a very special person to become a nurse. Without them, doctors can not function.
I thank all the nurses for having worked endless hours, always putting patients first and sacrificing their own needs. I thank them for having taught me and motivating me to become a better doctor every day.
Neha Sharma is a hospitalist. This article originally appeared in El Paso Times.
Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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