Taking the Time

Yesterday a family member thanked me for explaining what I was doing and why. I paused for a moment (as admittedly I was a little tangled up in some IV tubing that I was trying to prime) and cocked my head to the side. I asked her what she meant. She said that often people come in and out of the room and randomly do things without so much as introducing themselves, let alone taking the time to say what they are doing.

This struck me as interesting...not because I was really surprised (okay I was)...but because she was the 4th person to actually approach me and thank me for that exact same thing since I started working on my unit in February.

To defend my fellow staff members I told her that since I was still new to the field that I often explain things that I am doing as a second check to myself (this is half true...as IV tubing...though rather cumbersome when you are short...really doesn't take much thought). But I did stop to think...do people really just walk into rooms, hand someone a pill or draw blood without explaining what the medication or the procedure is? I can't imagine that they don't at least give a brief synopsis.

Maybe I am naive and just new. But I think that someone deserves to know. We tell patients from the start that they have the right to refuse treatment...but how can they if they don't understand what the treatment is? We as health care professionals have a huge amount of power that we often don't recognize. People come to the hospital and count on us to "just do what's best" without considering that we are human and can make mistakes.

This isn't just a phenomenon in health care. I fall victim to it when my car breaks down or my computer does "interesting things" (and more recently trying to navigate the home loan universe). I am not a mechanic nor am I an IT person. When things break I trust my toys to the professionals, but when they call and say the "thingy that turns the doo-dad" is broken...I appreciate an explanation that does not leave me feeling like the dumbest person that has ever walked the earth (and oh...by the way...that thingy is $600!).

It is no secret that I went into nursing with the intent to be a patient educator. I love to teach and nursing was my way of doing it (people under the age of 18 really are too daunting for me). I truly enjoy being able to alleviate fears and (hopefully) improve health behaviors by taking the time to explain the importance of what I am doing and why they should do it at home. Knowledge is power. I want my patients to feel like they can ask me anything...and I hope that I can give them an answer. If I can't...I'll find it.

Yes, more days than not I am still charting when everyone else has long gone home, but I really don't mind if it means that I spent that extra 45 minutes helping someone understand what they need to do to keep him/her out of the hospital (or worse) next time.

Are there moments when I would really rather get caught up on paperwork instead of sitting down and explaining atrial fib for the 400th time...you bet. Are there times when I have something that is really important that I have to do instead of teaching...yep. Does that matter to them...not a bit.

I think that when people do a job for a long time...they forget that each person that crosses our path is new to the situation. I have seen nearly 100 chest tubes at this point and they are essentially unexciting to me but for every new face that rolls into our unit after surgery...likely this is the first time they have ever had one. It is so important to remember that what is common to some is scary (and painful) to others. It is not okay to go about doing your job and getting through your routine if the person you are serving is left completely in the dark and too afraid to ask for help.

Am I wrong? Is this why I am the last to leave? I would like to think that in the end...I was able to get through to someone...and that would make it all worthwhile. And for the record...I don't believe for a second that I am the only person on our team that takes the time...I see my fellow nurses do it every day.

Cheers!