May 4, 2022
Editor: Keara Keelty
Artist: Jordyn Axelrod
Over the course of my career as a nurse, I will care for countless patients with different stories and backgrounds. The second semester of sophomore year in nursing school not only introduced clinicals in the hospital, but also these profound interactions with patients. This semester, I began helping patients for the first time; if you talk to any nursing student, I think we can collectively agree it was one of the scariest moments in our lives. Discovering all of the obligations we would become responsible for, especially when people’s lives literally depend on it, was daunting. Though, I have learned so much this semester: information I would have never been able to ascertain through a textbook. Of course, I have progressed and learned how to complete the daily assignments as a nurse, but I have also collected unique advice from the various patients I have spoken with this semester.
Some advice can be defined as good, some surprising, and some as transcending any basic category. While I have truly just begun patient interactions recently, I am sure this list will expand for the rest of my career.
Thus, I present to you: anonymous advice from a nursing student’s patients.
Appreciate What You Have When You Have It.
I had a patient who had a very sudden onset of heart failure. Before he knew it, he was lying in a hospital bed for over a month. One night it was raining, and I was complaining about my walk home to him as small talk. He told me that he wished he could go outside and actually smell the fresh air. The smell of dew on the grass is one of his favorite smells, he explained. He suggested, “appreciate what you have right now. You never know when it will be taken away from you,” a testament to the importance of living in the moment and maintaining a sense of gratitude.
Family is Everything.
A man with cancer came in with a full left pneumothorax (a collapse of one lung). As you can imagine, it was difficult for him to breathe, and extremely painful. Due to anxious thoughts, fear, and pain, his breathing became shallow and rapid – a very concerning state for a patient to be in. The man’s son pulled out his guitar and began playing his favorite song, “What a Wonderful World,” until his breathing slowed. Though the man did not say it explicitly, I felt the deep love and gratefulness he felt for his son.
Stay Away From Boys.
This one is not very long, and does not take much in terms of elaboration and explanation. A woman told me this advice as I was leaving her hospital room. While she had dementia, she seemed to be unapologetically honest. She declared, “Boys are never good enough. Stay away from them, honey.” Stay away.
What is a Soulmate?
I was discharging an older man and waiting for his wife to pick him up in their car. While standing behind him and holding his wheelchair steady, he began to tell me about his life: his occupation, children, grandchildren, and favorite hobby. Once he finished, though, he told me that his wife was what made him want to fight to live. He told me that he had met his soulmate when he met his wife: “You know you’ve met your soulmate when you would give anything up for them. When their happiness becomes your priority. When ordinary days become extraordinary because of them.”
Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover.
A man in the hospital came from prison. He always had two security guards with him and shackles dragged against the floor when he walked from place to place. He was also a very tall, muscular man. As someone with little experience, it was terrifying walking into his room to give him the same care I give any other patient. Turns out, he was one of the sweetest patients I’d ever had. Though I do not know what he did or how long he has been in prison, I do believe people can change. He was a very nice man, and I realized I created a notion of who he was before I even talked to him. In patient care, and in life too, it is vital to eliminate the potential impact of stereotypes and presumptions.
Share Your Wisdom.
Some medical professionals suggest that treating other medical professionals can be exhausting. It is like a backseat driver controlling the direction of their treatment plan. However, one woman came in with a “textbook” heart murmur. It was clear to hear just through the stethoscope. This woman, who happened to be a retired physician, encouraged all of the nursing students to listen to her murmur. As we listened, she explained through a smirk, “I just want to make sure the future of the medical field is as smart as me. Of course, I am going to share my wisdom.”
Don’t Be a Nurse.
I have learned so much more than I have explained above, but for the purposes of keeping this article short, I will skip to my final advice, which is arguably the most important. I have been told countless times to quit before it is too late. Further, I have heard time and time again that nursing is too time consuming and exhausting, and we do not get paid enough. I have been told that I am too smart to be a nurse, and that I need to become a doctor. I have also been told, my personal favorite, that I am too stupid, as women belong at home preparing meals for their children.
Throughout my time in the hospital this semester, I have learned from my patients that I am pursuing the right career. As such, I have loved (almost) every second of working and interacting in the hospital. Words of discouragement only serve to encourage me; I cannot wait to become a nurse.
Likewise, I encourage you to find your passion. Find something that makes you learn something new everyday. Find something that, despite discouragement, makes you stronger.