I've been trying to connect better with my patients, and I don't know what to think. People that are in the hospital aren't usually happy, they're sick, they're missing jobs, family, responsibilities, they don't usually understand medical processes, and they're one of many patients with needs. So it's my job to make their hospital stay a little bit better. Not just because it makes them give us a good rating on the survey, but because it's the right thing, right?
I've heard the most amazing and tragic stories while talking to my patients. Sometimes it's hard though! Because most of the time I just end up crying, like the last two patients I've had. One was a mom who just had a baby 3 weeks earlier, but because of her poorly done C-section, got a blood clot that resulted in a pulmonary embolism. Doctors in Price thought for sure that she was just going to die, so they wouldn't life flight her to Provo, and when she got to Provo she actually did code, so they resuscitated her. She's doing really well now.
Another night I helped a lady with cancer take a shower. I was combing her hair for her and she mentioned that she was going to just "Cut it all off" since it was going to fall out anyway with all the chemo she was going to get. That really hit me! Like, wow. Sometimes I forget that I work on the oncology floor. Everyday I meet people who have cancer. And they're people with families and stories. I love learning about people and meeting them and getting to know my patients, especially the ones who are on our floor for a long time. But sometimes it's exhausting! Emotionally it's hard to see your friends dying or sick all the time.
But I guess that's a part of what you sign up for when you work in healthcare. Even though it's hard sometimes, I happy to know that hopefully I'm making a difference in someone's life.
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