By Tamra Spells
My name is Tamra Spells. I’m 50 years old and have been a nurse over 20 years. I started as a CNA for 5 years. I love Nursing!
I have tons of favorite stories, but there is one in particular that continues to stay in my mind and I wanted to share it.
When I started working for hospice, I was assigned a patient that no nurse wanted. Other nurses said he and his spouse where mean and hateful and nothing you did would satisfy them. As the new nurse and new kid on block, I got the assignment. (Which happened a lot to the new nurse!)
I was scared and very worried while driving to the patient’s home. I pulled up and sat in my car for a while just to get my bearings about me. I said a prayer and gathered my equipment. With shaky hands, I rang the doorbell and took in several deep breaths.
An older lady with a frown answered the door and in a grumpy voice said “Who are you?!” I explained I was the nurse from hospice and was there to take care of her husband. She begrudgingly opened the door.
I noticed the home was very cluttered and didn’t smell to well. I was lead into a back room where it was dark and my eyes had to adjust. I saw a hospital bed and an elderly man lying in it. He seemed so sad as well as angry. I smiled at him, but received no response.
After introducing myself, I sat down in a chair beside his bed. I began talking to the patient. He then looked at me and said, “aren’t you just here to get vital signs, check my medication and see if my pain is better, then leave?” I said softly “no sir, I’m here for whatever I can do to help you.” He looked surprised and appeared speechless. I asked if he was a religious man and he began to tell me a story of how he grew up going to church with his mother and being very involved with church activities, including always praying before meals and bedtime, and reading the bible daily. He then said, “I’m not sure what happened. As I got older I slowly stopped and have not been involved with religion. Maybe my cancer is my punishment for that.”
I softly grabbed his hand and said “The lord doesn’t punish us, he loves us! Can I say a prayer with you?” He looked at me strangely. I was scared I had offended him, but he said “yes.” I prayed for peace and comfort for my patient.
Then we continued to talk as I did his care. The spouse came in and asked if I would like something to drink. She had just made tea. I said, “yes, thank you.” She joined us as I was doing his care and we all begin talking. Before I know it, I had already been there over 2 1/2 hours. Keep in mind, we (nurses) don’t get paid hourly, we were paid per visit. So most of the time nurses want to be through with visits within 45 min to an hour in order to go to the next visit. But this didn’t concern me. I was really enjoying time with this family.
I asked the spouse if she needed some help around the house and to have someone stay with the patient while she did errands or just took a break. She looked at me with eyes wide and stated “that would be wonderful!”
So I called the office to see what we could arrange and was told the office had no sitters at this time but would add my patient to the list and arrange for a CNA to assist with the home. I volunteered to do sitting until we had one. Then explained to the spouse we would arrange our schedule so when I came she could do her needed outings.
I had this family in my life for 3 blessed months and my patient and his spouse became totally different people. They became very sweet and accepting of the patient’s condition. He wasn’t afraid or thinking he was being punished anymore. I was there holding my patient and his wife’s hand the day he passed on.
I’m very blessed that I had them in my life to teach me that sometimes all a patient needs is for you to take time to listen, care and show them we will do what we can to help! This event showed me how much I love being a nurse!
(If you have a favorite nursing story, please send to Oklahoma’s Nursing Times. Be sure to include your permission to share. [email protected])
