The More You Give, Inspirational Poems, Touching Stories

[nurseamyg]

I was 50, tired of working outside, and needing a change in occupation. While taking a math course at the university, I was told about the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Program. With bad shoulders from being a lifelong carpenter, I qualified for the program. “What do you want to do?” “I want to be a nurse”, I replied. To make a long story short, I was accepted to the BSN program at the University of Alaska.

Four years later I finished, passed the NCLEX, and was an RN. Faced with a great deal of debt, having four children to support, and being 54 years old, I wondered if I had made the right choice. My wife and I calculated we would be debt free when I was 75 years old. A week later my wife and I decided to go to the mall to walk around. We didn’t have any money so were not concerned about overspending!

As we walked through Nordstrom, my wife was sidelined by a beautiful watch. She looked at it for a long time and just loved it. She then saw the price, which was $3,000, and I saw the disappointment in her face. I felt bad, feeling that she deserved the watch for putting me through the last two years of nursing school.

The next day she told me how she had prayed that the desire for the watch would leave her and her prayer had been answered. A few days later, the doorbell rang and it was the postman with a registered letter. I thought, “Oh no, we are being sued.” I opened the letter, which was addressed to my wife. She looked at the letter from the Reader’s Digest. The opening of the letter read, “Congratulations. You have just won the Sweepstakes worth $250,000.” She got the watch.

Walter J. Liedke, RN
- See more at: http://www.nursetogether.com/stories....bf3NKMbf.dpuf

[nurseamyg]

I was lying in bed last night contemplating what I should post here, then it hit me. I want to dedicate this post to inspirational nursing stories.

I can't tell you how many times when I have said that I am studying nursing, or that I want to be a nurse people have commented "Why would you want to do that?" The worst offenders tend to be nurses!! who usually add to the end something like "I wouldn't if I were you", or "You'll hate it", or "I don't know why you would choose Nursing!".

So it got me to thinking I would love to collect some stories about positive Nursing experiences on the job or on prac. That way when someone makes a negative comment or I am feeling sorry for myself I can read my blog for inspiration...(and other people aswell). Well it sounds like a good idea in theory, now all it needs is some good stories.....Ok first I will share mine, then you can share yours??!!!

Firstly I haven't had heaps of experience, I am just a newbie, but I have had some great nursing experiences. This one was on my last placement which was 2 weeks at an Acute Mental Health unit.

A few days after I started working on the ward R was admitted. R verbalised strong suicidal ideation and was assessed as having situationally induced severe depression. R's expressions were blunted and he withdrew from interactions with other patients and staff.

I was privileged that R allowed me to work with my buddy nurse (excellent mental health nurse with 20 years experience) and get to know him. Over the next few days I got to know R's story and received insight into the circumstances which led R to the Mental Health facility and his current mental status. My buddy nurse and R's examined his experiences, choices and circumstances. We learnt that R had broken most of his family ties and someone close to R died hours after his admission.

Gradually we began to see a change in R. He started to accept his mistakes, having examined the choices he made and was able to initiate plans for the future. R's affect began changing and he responded appropriately to staff interactions. My buddy nurse encouraged R to seek support in his family network which thankfully was readily forthcoming.

As the days went on R began to initiate positive interactions with staff. R had made some remarkable progress and he was discharged. I have to be honest and say that my eyes welled up for just a minute seeing such a positive outcome and seeing R have such hope for the future. I felt like I had participated in something special, that the care R received had really made a difference in his life, and to top it off I had well and truly overcome my anxiety of my Mental Health placement. I have to say this placement was definantly one of the best for me.

Ok...over to you............

[nurseamyg]

Whenever I am asked to reflect upon the Nurse-Family Partnership and to share my perspective from having been a part of the program, I am reminded of a keynote speech delivered by Dr. Dudley Floyd, a former Assistant Superintendent of Public Instructions for the State of North Carolina. He stated he loved his job so much he would have done 85-percent of the job for no pay. Later, in his speech he related an encounter with an irate parent. This encounter let him know why the state paid him – to perform the unpleasant tasks he was required to do which comprised about 15-percent of his duties. Until I had the opportunity to be a part of Nurse-Family Partnership his statements were merely an anecdote. Now I understand on a very personal level his sentiments. I have taken some time to really process my experience at Guilford Child Development, and more so my experience as a member of the Nurse-Family Partnership team. When I came to the agency, I never dreamed my work with Nurse-Family Partnership would become a peak employment experience. First of all, as a registered nurse, I had not worked in this area of nursing, maternal-child health, since I completed my bachelor's degree at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Nor, had I worked with teenagers, pregnant mothers, or infants. Consequently, I knew I had a huge learning curve to overcome. I would not have described myself as one who would be comfortable doing an intense home visitation program. Boy, was I wrong! The Nurse-Family Partnership training represented a paradigm shift in my views of infant development. I have worked in many different areas of nursing. Other than the training I received as a surgical intensive care nurse, none has come close to the depth of preparation I received for Nurse-Family Partnership. The program also had internal supports in place to help new practitioners circumvent failure. During the initial site training, I became acutely aware of what the nurse's visits meant to an inexperienced mother. Throughout the prenatal months, the nurse was a source of support and information that covered the gamut of topics and concerns a new mother might anticipate. Another important program goal was to convey the messages required by the program's protocol in order to give the mother an opportunity to experience a healthy pregnancy. What does experiencing a healthy pregnancy entail? This meant for me, the nurse, that the mother engaged in behaviors that were conductive to a healthy pregnancy. The components of good behaviors during pregnancy included prenatal care, good nutrition, timely physician visits, and good mental and emotional health. The desired outcomes were not to deliver prematurely, give birth to a healthy infant, no low birthweights, and participate in timely postpartum care. To the mother, it often meant someone to teach her and her family how to make a healthy pregnancy possible. To impart information in order to alleviate fears of the unknown abyss of childbirth, breastfeeding, and the day-to-day care of a newborn. Oftentimes, this process required dispelling myths on pregnancy and child rearing passed from one generation to another, thus dismantling generations of paradigm paralysis for new mothers. The paradigm shifts I witnessed in the mothers was a source of gratification for me. To observe the benefit our relationship had upon their infants' social and physical development gave me a sense of accomplishment. For many of the young women learning not to continue counterproductive habits suggested by family members or the culture was a tremendous change. In order for me to facilitate such a major change in their beliefs and practices, a trusted relationship was required. Having someone trust me with one of the most important and sacred events of their life sprung from the strong commitment I had to guard and protect their trust in me. During the two years I spent with each mother, I witnessed changes that were life altering. Many of the mothers I served were from different countries and cultures. Therefore, ideas I suggested were sometimes directly opposite to information prevalent in their homes and cultures. I was also exposed to new information and customs as I listened to understand their thinking and feelings. The sharing of cultures and beliefs allowed us to decide what was negotiable. This strategy also created an environment in which both parties were given opportunities to learn and share while working toward common goals. Once an infant was born, the structure of the goals changed. At this juncture, not only was it important to teach the mother how to be an informed parent, but also it was important to facilitate self-efficacy. Assisting the mother in finding solutions for positive outcomes was an integral part in the mother's development of self-efficacy. Many times, providing emotional support was essential to mothers experiencing positive outcomes in their lives, which ultimately benefited the lives of their children. For this challenge, it was necessary for me to understand the mothers' dream for themselves. Some articulate their life's vision quite easily, while others were in the formative state of goal setting and exploration was required. It was this experience that separates Nurse-Family Partnership from other programs designed to improve outcomes for low income, under educated, and underserved new mothers. I felt as if I were teaching these young women to fish. It was not an experience wherein gratification was realized at the end. I had moments of great pleasure throughout the two-year relationship. At first the outcomes were medically based and the goal was the delivery of a healthy full term infant. Then, a positive transition into motherhood, eager to provide a safe environment that would foster physical growth and an infant striving to meet developmental milestones. Once the first objectives were an actuality, the imperative for holistic family development was evident. As a relationship was coming to an end, I realized I had a very strong feeling of ownership. I was ecstatic to see a two-year old, who had been destined to be physically, emotionally, and developmentally delayed move within the normal ranges of infant growth and development. Even more rewarding was to watch them progress into toddlerhood with flourishing cognitive, motor and language skills. I was impressed with the mothers' commitment to create a nurturing and supportive environment that allowed children to meet developmental milestones. Knowing that there were no unwanted pregnancies for these young women, but instead school and/or work as part of their daily lives was an immeasurable accomplishment for them, but for me I knew I had made a difference in their lives. They were in the position to teach their children and others to fish. - See more at: http://www.nursefamilypartnership.or....Y0DpNwNM.dpuf

[nurseamyg]

Assignment
By Kim Jordan RN

I have nine patients, you are but one
I will walk five miles before I am done
Tiptoeing in and out of the rooms
Darkened and quiet like silent tombs
I try not to wake you, for there is no time
When trying to divide eight hours by nine.

[nurseamyg]

I vividly remember how much I loved to hear stories when I was young. I still remember many of those stories because there was an element in the narrative or a personality attribute in the character to which I could relate. Many times I remember being able to experience the emotions and feelings of the characters in the story. Those emotions ran the gamut from proud to happy, all the way to terrified and sad.

Becoming a nurse sometimes elicited the same feelings for me. As I learned to be a nurse, I realized that I was becoming part of people’s lives and their stories. Their stories became important to me, not just because it was my job but also because I wanted to help them and be a positive part of their stories. I remember many of the patients and families that I have been in contact with and have been privileged to care for over the past 30 years. Some of their stories were amazing. They are stories of hope and courage.

I also remember very clearly how it felt to be a student nurse and how overwhelming it was to assimilate all the content, procedures, and skills needed to be competent in the real world. That educational process was also a story, one that involved my classmates and instructors who, now as I look back, all encouraged and challenged me to finish nursing school and become a lifelong learner in nursing.

The unfolding case study book series — including titles such as, NCLEX-RN Excel: Test Success Through Unfolding Case Study Review, Fundamentals of Nursing Test Success, and Maternal-Child Nursing Test Success — were born out of my love for stories. These books make stories come alive for nursing students! They use storytelling in unfolding case studies format to make information about the lives of nursing students and patients and families they care for memorable. The best part is that the nursing student is learning valuable content as they enjoy the stories. The stories reinforce the classroom content in a unique way because they infuse names, feelings, and decision-making into the situations to make the content more personable than the usual lifeless words attached to paper or an electronic resource.

Becoming a nurse was wonderful, and it filled my life with thousands of stories about people and learning experiences. So these books are a take-off on those stories and I wrote them down to share my experiences with nursing students everywhere who will, before long, have their own stories to share.

[nurseamyg]

We all have our own nursing stories to tell our colleagues and even our children. But the greatest nursing stories of all are those that inspire others to understand why nursing is more than just a calling; why every experience can be considered a gift.

His name was Randolph and he was ninety four years old, according to the neighbor who found him early one morning. He was apparently out for his morning walk to buy a newspaper when he collapsed on his front porch. When I first laid eyes on Randolph, he was lying helplessly, but conscious, on a gurney in the emergency area of our small local hospital. He was dressed in a grey tweed suit, white shirt and a bow tie. His eyes were bright blue and staring straight at me.

“Hello, Randolph”, I began. “My name is Janet. I will be your nurse today and I am going to take really good care of you. It seems you had a little accident this morning.”

As a first year nursing student, I was new to the emergency area. I had only cared for patients who were stable or who needed very basic cares. Randolph was a new nursing challenge for me. My assignment was simple enough, however, I was to transfer him to the floor (station 12 med/surg) and assist him into a gown.

As I undressed my patient and prepared him for his hospital stay, I talked to him as though we were having an actual conversation, although I was the only one talking. I tried to look at him directly as I spoke. He seemed to understand me and occasionally made a little sound of some sort. He even tried to smile and would raise his left hand as if to acknowledge that he did truly understand my ramblings.

Randolph’s blue eyes were intense as he watched my every move. They were kind, but focused. Concerned, but trusting. He seemed to be acutely aware of his surroundings and of me.

“Randolph, I’m going to give you a little sponge bath.”

I began washing his well shaven face. I doubted he needed a bath. It was obvious to me that he was a well groomed older gentleman from the way he had dressed himself that morning. I spoke to him about the hospital, the weather and whatever else I could think of. He followed my every step with his eyes.

My mind raced. My heart pounded. My eyes filled with tears. I began to wonder where Randolph’s ninety four year old feet had taken him during his life. I wondered what paths they had trod, what roads they had taken. I felt overwhelming gratitude that I was the nurse who was assigned to care for him. How was it that I was the one who was so fortunate?

It has been many years since a sweet man by the name of Randolph was assigned to me. I don’t know the end to Randolph’s story. Maybe I don’t want to know. I would like to believe that he recovered well enough to return to his home - that he was able to get back into that grey tweed suit of his with the little bow tie.

- See more at: http://www.nursetogether.com/the-gif....pv80QLYw.dpuf

[nurseamyg]

Who’d have thought we’d be having to defend?
We don’t do this for our families, we don’t do this for our friends,
but for strangers.
Because this is our vocation
and we’re sick and tired of hearing we don’t do enough for this nation.
So, listen to us, hear us goddamn roar, you say we’re not doing enough?
Then we promise we’ll do more.
This time, next time, there’s nothing we can’t handle,
even if you bring us down, show us scandal, scandal, scandal.

[nurseamyg]

Ever feel like you’re 90 years old at the end of a long shift? So does Ruth Hepler.

Here’s the difference, though: Hepler actually is 90! Well, 89 to be exact.

Four days a week you’ll find Hepler at Nella’s Nursing Home in Randolph County, W.V, according to WBOY.com. She will have driven herself there and will likely be overseeing and comforting patients in addition to performing nursing treatments.

Interestingly, Hepler didn’t even become a nurse until she was 54. She joined the Davis and Elkins College RN Program after her husband died. Before that she was a homemaker, and before that she worked in a factory making plexus glass for B29 bombers for World War II.

She doesn’t restrict her work to West Virginia, either. She has also volunteered as a nurse in Haiti and has traveled around the world. All of this sits well with her reason why she’s still a nurse after all these years.

“If you are going to retire to something, that’s different. Just don’t retire and sit down,” she told WBOY.

Well said, Mrs. Helper.

[nurseamyg]

As a kid, I accompanied my mum to the hospital and was hugely impressed with the tidiness of the nurses uniforms, their politeness , care, compassion and readiness to help. It made me wanted to become like them and put smiles back on the faces of patients, their relatives and loved ones.

Becoming a nurse was a long road for me but I was so determined that I started as a health care assistant in a nursing home before working my way to an NHS hospital. The ability to cater for elderly residents whom I see as my mum and dad was so satisfying that I wanted to do more hence the need to qualify as a nurse. The smile when you feed that resident who cannot feed herself, the gratitude when you do the personal hygiene for an ageing dad is so gratifying . The "thank you" from an appreciative daughter and son is such that I began to see this as my calling.

The relaxed mind, peace on caring for a dying resident makes this a satisfying job. There are times when my eyes are filled with tears on seeing a dying patient but making them comfortable, dignified and peaceful even at such an emotional times makes nursing worth it for me.

I now work in an elderly ward in an NHS hospital. The greatest happiness is in seeing a patient back on his/her feet, in good health again and returning to their normal life. I am gratified when a relative says thank you for looking after daddy and mummy. I remember the day, I was trimming the nails of one of my patients. The daughter walked in when I was doing this, she was amazed and told me she has never done that for her mum.she was so happy and when her mum was being discharged, she blew me a kiss. These little acts that makes a great difference to my patients, their relatives and loved ones makes nursing forever a calling for me.

[nurseamyg]

Years ago, while still in nursing school, I worked the overnight shift at a nursing home. More often than not I was the only Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for the fifty residents in one wing of the facility. Some nights I was the only CNA for all 150 residents. As you can imagine, I spent the entire night going from soiled bed to soiled bed, changing sheets, and changing and re-positioning patients.

One of the women living there had night terrors. She was never able to name that which she feared, but woke every few hours screaming in panic. Her confusion and fear touched my heart as I tried to imagine experiencing her quality of life. I immediately discovered that she would calm down and return to sleep if I spent 10-15 minutes talking to her.

Soon thereafter, I discovered that if I came to work 20 minutes before my shift started, held her hand, and talked with her she slept peacefully the entire night through. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week out of the life of a student nurse was a small price to pay for her peace of mind.