A Short Story on Nurse Caring
This is one of the memories that still linger on my mind to date. That evening a 32-year-old man was put in a life support machine, not to have him live again; he had already lost the battle of his life 10 hours ago, but to harvest his organs for donation. David Whelan had left behind an equally young woman and a son. He had collapsed after suffering a stroke while on the ladder, trying to prune his garden.
When I got on duty that evening, his parents, wife, and five-year-old son were at the Intensive Care Unit where his body was in the life support machine. They were in utmost grief, and I was sorry for their loss. The sight of a mother losing his son, a wife losing a husband, and a son has lost his father was dreadful. I feared.
On the other hand, I knew it was an honor to share their grief by caring for their loved one in his last moments. This was a bit tough on me, especially caring for a dead person but kept alive. I asked a friend to bring coffee for the wife and mother while bringing a hot dog and cupcakes for the boy.
I felt a stab deep in my heart, having to bear witness to a widow and a little child who has to grow up without feeling the love of a father and a mother weeping over his son’s body. I felt like part of the family and shared their grief; though I did not want them to see, I had to be strong.
I comforted the family, played with the boy with his toy guns to ease the tension and the grief. When the family was composed, we chatted a little. The look in their eyes told it all, the love they had for their departed son, husband, and father. The wife cried, and I cuddled her for some time and wiped her tears until she cooled down.
When it was time to go, they bade goodbye, thanking me for words of comfort and coffee. I had already made a friend in the young boy who promised to come back and visit. It was a terrible experience for both the family and me, but we managed.
Caring is taken as a calming mediation between the nurse and the patient and an emotional impact on patients’ lives. It involves giving of self in humanity’s service while showcasing consideration and sympathy towards the patients (Morse et al., 2020). Most importantly is the approach nurses give the patients as a person and prioritizing their needs as well as motivating the patients and giving them a reason to smile.
Caring is conceptualized in the nursing profession and includes linking with patients, being honest with them, showing empathy and concern by entering into their lives, and being robust to any possible reservations that may occur along the way (Morse et al., 2020).
Medical practitioners and caregivers understand that caring is a fundamental and important part of every patient’s healing process. This helps the patient have less stress. Inflammation is the body slows down the healing process, which is triggered by cortisol, a hormone produced under stressful situations (Shaji, 2020). Nurses can help patients avoid stress through caring.
Patients experience the feeling of relaxation, hospitality, and comfort at the hands of caring nurses (Shaji, 2020). This improves patient outcomes as the healing process is speeded up. A feeling of safety and love is experienced by the patients when nurses care and show empathy.
Trust can be built through caring for someone. Patient needs are a priority for nursing. This can be achieved by showing concern and care. Kindness can be taken as a gauge for caring, but it goes beyond that and includes a serene environment that is clean and free from noise. This increases patient satisfaction.
Definition of Caring
Caring is the art of showing kindness and concern for people. It entails showing empathy and assisting others that are not in a position to do so. Being mindful of the patients’ wellbeing, establishing caring relationships, and giving guidance to the patients is the care that nurses provide (Stroehlein, 2019).
Exhibiting mutual respect while enhancing open communication between nurses and patients helps patients experience improved results such as alleviating pain; they become less anxious and give them hope about recovery (MacFadyen, 2020).
As a holistic nurse, the patients’ needs are prioritized by offering conventional corresponding care, helping patients achieve harmony by relaxing stressful situations, and enhancing effective communication between them and the patients. A nurse should take an interest in the patients’ lives while teaching them how to take responsibility for their own wellbeing (MacFadyen, 2020). Nurses are also required to practice self-care, which is an essential part of their growth and the patients’ growth.
Expression of Caring
The short story about David Whelan’s life and his family’s stressful moments requires an empathetic and holistic care representation by the nurses. The care in the story is portrayed by engaging the family and showing concern for their loved one’s demise by consoling and showing empathy (Stanislas, 2019). This is done by engaging them in a chat after composed, playing with the young boy, making them feel at home, and getting them something to take.
Cuddling and hugging Mr. Whelan’s wife made her feel comforted, and wiping her tears made her relax and feel she has more than a friend in me (Stanislas, 2019). The gesture made her open up for further discussions when the right time came, and she realized that her son can still be happy with the people around him, showing concern. This is critical for any nurse, as it satisfies the client, and the patient outcome is improved.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurses are bestowed with the responsibility to ensure they get the best patients outcome that is satisfying to both parties. This can only be achieved through caring and establishing the importance of caring for the patients. Effective and open communication, sincerity, and honesty are qualities that nurses should possess to improve patient outcomes (Stroehlein, 2019). Holistic caring is crucial to the patients as it provides the patients’ hospitality and makes them feel at home. This concept ensures the speedy recovery of the patients, and they become satisfied.
This has enhanced my learning of caring as nursing concepts and the important aspects that care has on patients and their recovery processes. It has enabled the understanding of key concepts that the practice requires and banks on and the general knowledge of caring and its impacts on the hospital and the patients (Morse et al., 2020).
References
MacFadyen, J. S. (2020). Holistic nursing. Holistic Nursing Practice, 2(8), 4-5. https://doi.org/10.1097/hnp.0b013e31827938c7
Morse, J. M., Solberg, S. M., Neander, W. L., Bottorff, J. L., & Johnson, J. L. (2020). Concepts of caring and caring as a concept. Advances in Nursing Science, 1(7), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1097/00012272-199009000-00002
Shaji, J. (2020). Advanced nursing procedures and practices. Fundamentals of Nursing: Clinical Procedure Manual, 1(9), 119-119. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp/books/12483_7
Stanislas D. (2019). Reconsidering empathy in nursing care. Holistic Nursing Practice, 1(5), 245. https://doi.org/10.1097/hnp.0000000000000169
Stroehlein, M. (2019). Caring concept. SOJ Nursing & Health Care, 1(10), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.15226/2471-6529/2/1/00113