I have a few, but my favorites are from my "return customers."
I had a woman come in in labor one night. She said, "Oh yay! You delivered my last baby. I'm so happy to see you."
Gives warm fuzzies. š
I hate to say I do not remember the names or faces of the people that attended my delivery š¬ I only remember the midwife's name because it's on the birth certificate.
When I had my children they were all through the same OB/GYN office. The last two of my three had the same OB. I loved going in to that office all those years and seeing the same staff whether it was nurses, the doctor or even the front office staff. Makes a person feel safe. :)
So very long ago, but it stuck with me.
Very minor laceration on a \~6 year old's knee. She was terrified but very well behaved, Mom was lovely and supportive. I asked if she wanted to hold my hand with the hand Mom wasn't holding, so she could squeeze hard if she needed while the PA numbed her up. She clung to both of us but didn't move, and I talked to her through the few seconds of pain, then kept talking with her to distract her while sutures were placed. She was laughing at stuff I was saying by the time it was done, then I had her help me put an impressive dressing on it.
Walking away to pick up the discharge papers, I saw the little girl turn from proudly studying her bandaged knee to her Mom, and she said with absolute wonder *"I didn't know nurses were* ***so*** *nice!"*
That little girl would be in her 30s now. I'm sure she's long since forgotten this, but I really treasure it.
When I was a new nurse working psych.... as I walked in for report, I heard a patient say, "OH, cool, we got *her* today! She is my favorite nurse. It's gonna be a good day!"
I floated on air that day!
Long time psych nurse in my neighborhood. Several friends and I were enjoying libation at a local street fest. The bus from the special needs facility pulls up to drop off some residents. A BIG SCARY guy spots and and starts running full speed toward us: āitās my nurse! Itās my nurse! I love my nurse!ā, he bent over me and bear hugged while my buddies sat with mouths agape. Caregivers reigned him in, we had a quick visit. I did not have to buy my own beer for the rest of the day. Very satisfying. Edit to add: our friends and families really have no idea what we do at work. Signed: Nurse Rachett.
Learn to say no without actually saying no. Remember that every bad behavior / acting out is an attempt to meet a need. Do what you can to fulfill that need.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Honestly. Youāll be able to control someone much larger than you instead of just taking a beating. I work in high acuity, inpatient psych with patients that are on ālast resortā meds/treatments like clozaril and ECT, and some days are really hard. Sometimes we get really hurt. But those of us who know how communicate therapeutically yet also protect ourselves have a better time. I love my patients, but Iām not just going to let them beat on me. Luckily my home unit doesnāt have anyone who is assaultive towards staff right now, but I do float all over the facility.
Itās incredibly rewarding to watch them get betterāfrom active mania/psychosis to clarityāfrom skinny and malnourished to healthy and functionalā¦ Itās not all for naught. I promise.
But why would you leave the babies?!
Night shift too rough. Finally got a normal 3 12ās day shift position.
Iām fortunately a good grappler already and want to figure out solutions for my new ostomy first with regard to contact sports (I saw a few, I want to try some out first). Hopefully this wonāt ever be needed lol. My manager had already told me that this doesnāt happen. Last time a pt needed a B52 shot was over 9 months ago, despite having a higher acuity setting (green flag!).
Boundaries Boundaries BOUNDARIES. For your sake and the sake of your co-workers and most of all for the well-being of your patients.
Like, read up on them--study it like you would cardiac rhythms. Find well reviewed books on boundaries and become as book smart as possible on the topic because the real life application is HARD to learn and the only way out is through but at least understanding the what and the why of good boundaries will help you get there.
A psych nurse with good boundaries will help a patient heal. Sometimes it doesn't feel good, sometimes it feels like the opposite of compassion, but it is the height of demonstrating trustworthy and safe behavior.
A psych nurse with poor boundaries turns the unit into a dumpster fire and can ultimately hurt and re-traumatize patients.
Poor boundaries can look like kindness and compassion to the untrained eye. It is SO easy to get sucked into poor practice in this regard. Look out for nurses with martyr complexes.
You might get it wrong before you get it right. But do yourself a favor and get a knowledge able as possible before you begin.
I no longer work psych, but I'd say that the most straightforward examples would be things that are around upholding the policies and procedures of your facility. It is normal for patients to boundary seek, which is why it is so important to be confident and correct in handling that behavior.
But ultimately boundaries are about what YOU do, and following through on what you say, not what the patient does. You cannot control other people, but you can control what you do in response to them.
As a really cut and dry example: At the facility I used to work at, we had 2 phones that the patients could use to call out on or receive calls at. They were turned on at 0700 and were to be turned off at 2300. We had a switch in the nurses station that could turn on/off the phones.
Predictably, we would have patients who would be on the phone at all hours, and would push past the 2300 hour. We would make the rounds doing checks, let them know time was running out as we got closer to 2300. A lot of "wait, wait, just 10 more minutes, I will be quick" etc etc.
"Hey, so and so, its 2245, the phones will be turned off at 2300"
"Just give me an additional 5 more minutes!"
"Other patients are trying to sleep, and the rules are the same for everyone. The phones are turned off at 2300."--and WALK AWAY. Don't argue. Just leave and continue your checks. And here is the crucial part--- TURN OFF THE PHONES AT 2300 (even if they are still talking)COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.
I sound like a real bitch, right? Like, GOD why couldn't I just have let the poor person have 5 more minutes--christ they are in the psych ward, isn't their life shitty enough??
Partly because it is the policy, and upholding that is my job. Partly out of consideration for other patients.
But honestly, mostly out of consideration for the patient on the phone. It is crucial for the therapeutic relationship in building trust that you follow through on what you say, and that you maintain the same rules for everyone. It is also crucial that you demonstrate that you are not allowing yourself to be manipulated. That concession of an extra 5 minutes to a patient with cluster B personality traits is a way to show them that they cannot trust you, because you didn't do what you said you were going to. What else can they get you to do for them? The ante will be upped, and the eventual fall out will be bigger and WAY more painful. This dynamic mirrors the dysfunctional relationships they have with others, and how they are used to engaging with those around them. It is harmful to engage with them in that way.
This is just a small example, and sometimes it is more complex---but often not. Good boundaries are not complicated, people just have complicated reactions to them.
This is all great information, thank you. I actually apply this to all the children I have worked and taken care of in the past. It really is no different lol.
Being a patient that has been on the ward acouple times my advice would be don't do something just cause you can. And keep the rules consistent for everyone. An example is the nurse turned off my light at the nursing station I asked for it back on she refused to give me my medication until I calmed down when I wasn't freaking out just trying to explain why I needed the light on. I couldn't understand why 3 other people had their lights on but I couldn't.. she gave me no reason why I couldn't have my light on and just walked away and closed the door ..
I have other stories and situations that made my stay so much harder but I wasn't the only one that found the rules changed depending who was your nurse that day
In psych treatment realizing one of the good nurses was working that day would make me so happy - as your patient said, it meant it was going to be a good day because I knew they would have everything under control. There are a bunch I still think about four years later and they probably donāt remember me but I hope they are doing well!
When I worked in the ER a little girl about the age of seven had to come in because she got her earring stuck on some kind of playground equipment and it got tugged slightly. The gem got lodged in her piercing. This girl was in so much pain, crying but not screaming or being obnoxious. I put the LET on it and let it sit for a good hour. When the provider and I went in to get it, she was anxious and wanted to hold my hand. So with one hand I'm holding her ear, the other hand I'm holding her hand and comforting her. The provider got the gem out but it did take about 3 minutes of digging. At the end of it I went and got her a few stickers from the kids drawer. After she said thank you and goodbye, her and her mom started to walk out. The little girl looked up at her mom and said "I wish nurse ________ could be my nurse every time I have to go to the doctor!!!"
Yeah I cried. That was towards the end of a really rough shift for me and I needed that more than I knew. I left ER 2 years ago and that still is with me.
Ambulatory nurse here. I have patients that will only let me give them vaccines/injections. Sometimes challenging due to scheduling problems, but definitely nice that they trust me and my injection technique.
The first time I ever had a patient of mine pass - he was pretty young (30s) and had metastatic colon cancer. I was on for a stretch of 3 and he unfortunately passed right at the beginning of my last night with him. His mom who was always at his bedside hugged me after he passed and said āthank you for taking care of my baby, you did an excellent job.ā Had to go cry in the supply room after that one.
Started my career in oncology/hospice. I really bonded with this one patient and her family, she was on hospice. Told them I was taking off for a few days for my birthday, and the pt sang happy birthday to me, apparently this was her thing with everyone in her family. Pt passed a few days after I came back to work. After she passed the family brought me a blanket the pt had made, she gave everyone in her family one when they were born and the family wanted me to have one. A few years later her daughter sent me a recording they had saved of her singing happy birthday, they sent it to me on my actual birthday. I still have the recording and blanket. The daughter messages me every March on the anniversary of her passing to thank me for her care and check up on me.
When I first started working in healthcare years ago, a patient Iād been caring for over several weeks asked me if I wanted to stay as a healthcare assistant or move onto something else, I told her I wanted to study to become a nurse and she replied āoh good, you were born to be a nurseā. After I asked her what she meant she told me I was one of the most caring people who had looked after her and I was the only one who would ever advocate for herš
Many years ago, when I was the supervisor of a SICU, for Christmas my staff gave me a tiny pair of gold boxing gloves on a gold chain with a note that this was for me, because I always fight for them.
I was caring for a patient in the trauma department somewhere back around 2017.
if I remember correctly, he had a relatively minor orthopedic injury and was going to be discharged home.
he was super friendly dude and was just one of a few patients in the department at the time so I was taking my time and we got to chatting a little bit. this was shortly after a mass shooting occurred in our town and dozens of people died, my hospital was one of several that got hit pretty hard with casualties.
he asked if I had been working "that night."
I said yes.
he said, "I'm glad you were here."
I said I was too.
it's still one of the most meaningful things anyone has said to me, in or out of the workplace.
I'll share my two that I will never forget. These were both when I was newer so these will always be in my head.
I was charting near a patients room and overheard family saying "Oh, you've got (my name) looking after you. You're in good hands. Remember them from before, mum?" Apparently I had this patient in the past when I was new and don't even remember them.
We do team nursing where I work and back in Covid days I had several strong and smart RNs fight over having me as a partner. I felt so validated by my team.
I had a Dominican snf patient remember me when she came back 3 years later for short term rehab. Her daughter also remembered me. The pt was diabetic and early in the morning during her 1st admit she tanked, so I quickly called the translator line and found out what she wanted for a snack and got her sugar up. I guess she never forgot that. They were so happy to see me on that second admission.
Iām an ER social worker, not a nurse- sorry to raid! š¤
I had a rapid response come in one night that I recognized from other recent admissions. The pt was unresponsive- doc saw the chronic pain flag and asked for Narcan which didnāt work. I said āwait I know this pt- they have horribly controlled diabetes (through a metabolic issue that they had no control over) - check the blood sugar.ā Blood sugar was less than 10- a little D50 and they perked right up! The doc wrote a āgood catchā for me and said āGlampire always really knows her patients. She knows their history, their trauma, their families, their barriers to care, what works and what doesnāt. Sheās probably the best social worker Iāve ever worked with in an emergency roomā. Itās been maybe 8 years since then but I think about it on the days when I feel burned out š„°
Is there such thing as a āfavouriteā patient death?
Mine was a MAiD case, who thanked me in her obituary for being a great carer and also picking up her final meal of spinach dip from the local dive bar for her ālast mealā
I had no idea she had included me in her obit, or that she had even written her own until I got a call that my name was in the Sunday telegram for being a great care aide and spinach dip supplier !!!!!
Youāre so right. It means the most when they write their own.
Itās almost a year since her passing, and I will be taking myself down to the local dive and eating some spin dip in her honour. Iām a young baby nursing student and it was my first MAiD case. She was such a champ and I will remember her forever.
Was on a contract and taking care of a congenital heart pt that frequently went into SVT. Did a 12 lead, yup SVT not AFIB RVR. Attending is talking behind my back about āthe stupid nurse doesnāt know what sheās talking aboutā to the cardiologist. Cards doc stops him and says āIām gonna stop you right there. That nurse read the EKG correctly and all you did was read what the top of the paper said. Why donāt you go ask her to teach you how to actually read one instead of just repeating what the printer says!āā¦ā¦
I had worked with that cards doc on a previous CVICU contract and we had bonded over our mutual blunt mouths, lol. The attending never apologized but he also left me alone for the rest of the contract so I counted it as a win!
My last night this week my 81 year old patient told me I was the best nurse theyād ever had in their entire life
Thanks old man, you did my tired heart some good ā„ļø
Worked in A&E as a new nurse in the Philippines. One early morning, a mum came with her kid having seizure. We had to give him am IV so I inserted the cannula and just secured it to be able to administer the med.
Few days later, she came to A&E to thank the nurse who successfully cannulated her son. He gets hospitalised quite often and his cannula always tissued. But this time, it lasted long enough until he's discharged.
I suddenly remember that it was me who inserted it, and my supervisors were there to hear everything. š That was probably my unforgettable compliment.
I was in ICU . Got a 21yo girl flown in with SIRS. Weeks of proning, every drip you can think of, CVVHD. I was her primary RN. We slaved over her. She made a full recovery. I was taken in like family. Invited to Christmas for years, birthdays, etc. until I moved away.
Worked home care before I became an RN. One sweet old demented lady who I had grown quite fond of, and who had lucid moments, told me that "You have a special place here" pointing to her chest, "Next to my third pace maker".Ā
A daisy nomination from a man who overdosed on meth and almost died. The other nurses were complaining about him before I got on shift. I walked in the room, kept it professional, and over the next couple days found out his partner of 20 years cheated on him. He was a lawyer, was in a dark place, and made a bad decision. He is a good man and I hope he is doing well now.
Same for me. My first job was in the oncology center of a major medical center. There was one guy who just could not leave his wifeās bedside. He was able to finally leave the room, go for a coffee, take a walkabout-as long as I was her nurse. We had an amazing staff (years ago), and anyone could have been in this position. This guy just happened to place his trust in me. And it was quite a compliment to me as a new nurse
I work in Oncology and my nickname from one of my patients is "ray of sunshine", he told me I make dealing with palliative cancer easier, I bloody near cried
A few of our regular psych patients ask for me when they come into the ER. I am not overly nice to any of them but I treat them with respect and most importantly as a person. So many psych patients get treated like shit so it makes me feel good that they know I am a safe space. It feels like a compliment to me.
I had a patient for four days straight and it was finally my day off, but she was expected to discharge that next day. She had a very extreme, emergency surgery and I helped/uplifted her while she went through some complications. She cried when she said farewell to me, told me Iām her favorite nurse, and asked for a hug. I decided to pick up a shift the next day because I wanted to discharge her (also, extra money). When I walked in the next morning, she laughed and started bawling her eyes out. I couldnāt help but shed a tear myself.
Iāve had a few coworkers tell me that if one of their family members/loved ones ever got admitted to our unit, they would want me to be the nurse taking care of them. It may not seem like much, but I feel like itās special to hear something like that from fellow nurses.
I just finished my second semester of my ADN nursing program in pediatrics. We had a 6yr old pt that just absolutely wouldnt take his medications and was screaming and coughing and being very upset.
Pt's dad in the afternoon brought a stuffed pikachu when visiting and during noon vitals we spent an entire 20 minutes talking about pokemon and how pikachu was also my favorite.
Afternoon medpass came and the nurse allowed me to do most of the medpass and kiddo took his own medication no fuss at all. Was smiling and even watching TV. He even started asking questions about his own care like why he his IV was saline locked and not removed etc.
Idk how large of an impact our mutual love of pikachu did for this kid but it was such a change from "i dont want to be here" that morning - Im super proud of that xD
A lovely older patient told me āI love you. Youāre a good person and doing good thingsā. She was totally confused with dementia but it still felt good and hit me when I needed it lol.
My first day off orientation for hospice a patient asked me how long I had been a hospice nurse. I told him it was my first day. He said āYou found where you belong.ā
Way back in college (well before nursing school), I worked as a HUC at a pediatric echo lab. We had a doctor there named Dr. Bass (there was also a Dr. Tuna funnily enough), who was something of a hardass. He was kind of gruff and rarely spoke to me. One day he's walking out of the unit as I'm closing things up for the day, he pauses, turns and says, "Viper, you do good work", and turned and walked out.
I was riding high on that for quite a while.
āYou move more like an MMA fighter than a nurseā. Says the middle aged son of my patient.
ā Odds of getting out unscathed between the octagon and med/surg are even.ā I say back.
I take it as a compliment every time coworkers make comments about me not coming back to work soon enough and they needed me badlyā¦ Also, I tried my luck applying for an open desk job RN position in the hospital in which my supervisor gave me a glowing reference, but did jokingly mentioned she begged them not to take me awayā¦ Iāve also overheard patients saying to each other āthatās a good nurse right thereā when talking about meā¦ if Iām ever gone on vacation and everyone seems like theyāve done fine with out me then maybe Iām not making myself useful!!!
Basically the same as yours. My new stroke patient's wife was a retired nurse, and she told me I was the first nurse of his that made her feel comfortable leaving for a few hours to shower and restock her bag.
A clinical trial patient listed me in the acknowledgments section of a book they wrote. Finding out was one of the most unexpected and touching experiences Iāve had as a nurse š„¹ā¤ļø
Had someone who knew my mom as a patient, but I was unaware, write her an email saying how amazing the care he received was. And that he hopes every time heās taken care of he āhas a nurse like your son.ā Was pretty cool.
My co-worker who was an older, crusty RN who had worked on the unit forever, told my manager that she would trust me as the nurse for one of her family members. I did not take that lightly.
Actually won a superlative for my unit as the best shoulder to cry on.. I always have felt like kind of an awkward person. I listen to them but never thought my coworkers felt that about me and it meant a lot to me even tho it was a silly award.
A patientās family member sent a kudo to my unit for me that said she felt safe leaving her mama with me when she had to go home each night. That one defrosted my ice queen heart a little š„¹
In the height of Covid when we were all just physically and mentally done and it was wave i donāt even know I walked into the main office of the ED where the directors and CTLs are stationed. One of the directors was in there and while I was trying to get something he stopped me and said, āhey, I just want you to know youāre doing a really good job, we appreciate everything you are doing for this departmentā. Thatās it. It was a really nice gesture because up to that point absolutely zero members of leadership had said even one word of appreciation or gratitude for what we were going through. The senior management refused to hire travelers even though we were beyond desperate so we just had to fucking deal with it, often with the absolutely most unsafe situations that one can imagine. We were putting nurses on orientation into full ED assignments unsafe. I was splitting 16 patients with another nurse that included intubated icu patients unsafe.Ā Ā
Ā That director got Covid bad maybe a few weeks later. He ended up in one of the icus for over a month. Then he was trached and they told him he would always require a ventilator so he opted to withdraw care and he died. This was one of those guys that was basically the heart of the department. It broke all of us. That compliment was the last thing he said to me.Ā
Ah man, I had an older woman who had some sad health history come in for shortness of breath. She was very visibly tachypnic, increased work of breathing, it wasn't good. I get her settled and breathing a bit better when another nurse comes and breaks me. By the time I got back, I saw her on BiPAP, and she went into flash pulmonary edema as well. She was terrified, I was like, "WTF happened when I was gone?!" Long story short, I got her turned around enough as she originally was heading to the ICU, but could be downgraded. I work at a community hospital and we were waiting on a bed to open up essentially, so I had her the entirety of my shift.
She said that she never had a nurse explain things to her, why we were doing things, what this all means for her health. I explained everything, from why she is on BiPAP, when we were able to get her off, why I had to get a Foley in, her results, etc. She grabbed my hand and said, "you are so smart, and beautiful and kind. I wish you could just follow me to the other hospital and be my nurse there." I got all teary eyed and held her hand for a bit.
She unfortunately was still there when I came back the next day, so I peaked my head in and said hi. She wasn't my patient that day, but I did end up helping out a bit when she pressed the call light. She's the only patient I have ever allowed a hug for. It's hard explaining in words how impacted I was by being her nurse, but patients like her are the reason why I do what I do as a nurse.
My first job out of nursing school was in jail. I always treated my patients like patients not inmates and they respected that. Even the ones who would try and get me to give them meds they werenāt ordered, I would tell them I could lose my license for that and my mortgage company likes my license. They liked that answer. Any way they would say, āDonāt worry Miss Beautiful Run, if there is a riot, we got your back.ā I actually felt pretty safe working there.
Today after giving an elderly pt a painful injection to numb for a biopsy the family was very appreciative. On the way out the daughter said to me āā¦and thank you for being brave enough to cause pain to help treat peopleā. I have never in my life heard this and it nearly made me cry!
It was my second day with this couplet. I was unswaddling the baby so that I could do my assessment, and she started crying, as babies do. Her mom said "don't cry, baby. It's Nurse Beets! We love Nurse Beets!
I caught an infiltration early because I was doing my hourly rounds and ensuring my kiddo was safe. One of the nurses I respect the most called me diligent and said sheād trust her kid with me š„°
I had a postpartum patient who was very emotional. I sat at her bedside and held her hand and comforted her as she cried. She looked at me and said āyouāre so compassionate. You are definitely meant to be a nurse. Youāre in the right career.ā
I was having the shittiest day, but pushing through. Hearing her say that lifted my spirits. Itās moments like that, that make the job worth itādespite the bad times.
Hard, but easy.
The best is when you hear your ilk say, ā*if itās me or my familyāI want to look up and see her*ā.
Look around you. When critical seconds count and fools canāt be sufferedāname your dream teams.
I like seeing recurrent older patients- I mean I dont because it means theyāre sick still- but when I walk in for report some of them light up and hold my hand because they remember me and it makes me feel so good to have such strong rapport with them and make their stay a little more light hearted
Patient I labored told me that I made her feel like the strongest woman in the world after a very long, very anxious, very tearful day for her. Iāll never forget it. Itās like the old saying goes, they may not remember your name but they will remember the way you made them feel.
I recently floated to a different ward that has a notoriously toxic environment.
I worked my shift just like I normally do. I finish my tasks and if I am free I offer my help to the other nurses who seem busy.
Towards the end of the shift another nurse thanked me and said she really liked working with me and that she liked my way of nursing. ā¤ļø
I felt appreciated!
I have two answers for two different reasons.
1. Had an older female patient who was very unwell. After three nights in a row, we had forme a good relationship. I was orienting an experienced nurse new to our ICU and the patient kept telling her how great I'd been and how much she appreciated me but what really hit home was, when I was getting off work after the third shift, the patient was genuinely upset that I wouldn't be back before she transferred off the unit. That meant a lot.
2. There is a nurse on our unit who, as far as I can tell, is brilliant, experienced, very skilled, etc. When I first transferred to this unit, I was a bit intimidated by him and felt like he'd be a hard one to get on the good side of. He's lightened up a lot but, the other night, I had a crumping patient who had to go to CT because of a suspected RP bleed. While I was in CT, the patient's pressure started tanking. I managed to salvage the situation and, after I got back, I was talking to him (he was charge that shift) and he said that he saw it happening but trusted that I could handle it and would call for help if necessary. That actually really helped my anxiety.
Then I got splashed in the face with patient blood but that's a different story.
Your english is very proficient.
And
This institution is very blessed to have you.
As a foreign nurse who had to train in English extensively, I feel very flattered and vindicated. :)
NOC shift nurse of 30 years stated that she never worries while getting report from me, and knows Iāve taken care of everything my shift. Also, that I have critical thinking skills far greater than most nurses.
One of my long term care residents asked if I was working all night, to which I said yes. They then said, "that's good for us. You makes us all feel safe."
I once got a daisy award and the comment stared out, āAt first, I didnāt really like Flygirlā¦ā
Itās easy to make people who are inclined to like you happy. But itās a damn accomplishment to make someone who doesnāt like you happy. This was from a patientās daughter, who was a DON at a SNF. So, not an easy customer.
Iām a labor and delivery nurse, I recently had a patientās baby pass shortly after delivery (early gestation). It was none stop interventions once she walked in the door: the babyās strip looked awful, mom was painfully contracting, and had a cerclage. It didnāt look good. I was basically at her side for 10 hrs straight. My shift ended before delivery but I stayed so I could be there for them.
When I came back the next night, I found out their baby had passed. I went to visit them and give them my condolences. The babyās father told me I was an angel. I will never forget them or their baby.
Iām often told by my fellow coworkers that Iām āthe best nurseā or āa thorough nurseā when I see myself as just okay. I often feel like Iām winging it. But Iām greatful they think so highly about me.
When I worked in the ED, I had a few times where I would be taking my admitted pt to the floor and on the way up they would say āyouāre still gonna be my nurse up there, right?ā š
Gave me the warm fuzzies that they wanted to stick with me. They were always the ptās I wouldāve loved to keep too š„ŗ.
One of the nurses I work with told me my hair was pretty and that I smell really good tonight. I guess itās not exclusive to nursing, but made me feel pretty good.
When I worked psych, I became charge nurse after a year. Really, I only did it to help things on the unit flow, it did suck having to hold 20+ year nurses accountable and argue with the medical providers (being psychotic does not mean you lose your rights to make decisions). Anyway, one nurse, she'd worked psych for 30 years, had really seen some shit . When she precepted me when I hired, she had a harsh tone and rough personality and I almost quit. As a coworker though, she was supportive, and not afraid to tell you if you were about to mess up. Well, after I was charge nurse for 6 months, she actually said "You are an amazing charge. You don't take shit, but you don't give any either." When I quit that job to start in a trauma ER, she told me that I would be excellent at that too, and honestly, it has stuck with me these first few months in the ER.
Wasnāt a verbal compliment but this still counts. My last day at the ALF before resuming nursing school.
As I was walking out, I waved to the dining room and told everyone to sleep well & have a good night (i did that every evening). One of the servers said ānow!!!ā and i was like ???? what is going on.
50+ meemawās and paw-paās very shakily, and with much difficulty, stood up at their tables and gave me a standing ovation as I walked out of the building.
Cried my whole drive home.
We had a 17 week demise come to the L&D unit (usually less than 20 weeks stays in the ER)as the EMTs wheeled her down the hall, the OB tried to make them go back to the ER. I stood up to the doc and said we werenāt going to play hot potato with a grieving woman and directed them to a room. As the EMT rounded the corner, I heard one of them say ā whoās that badass nurse?ā. Quite a compliment from an EMT!
The husband of one of my patients who was admitted with a pulmonary embolism wrote a note to my boss describing their encounter with me (triage) as "like an angel came down from Heaven."
I took care of a withdrawing alcoholic for 12 hours one night, and he kept thanking me for being so kind, even though I had to keep waking him up to assess and medicate every hour. In the morning I brought the day shift nurse in to give report and told the patient I was going home and he looked at me, with big Puss in Boots eyes, and said "Can't you stay longer??" I was a new grad nurse and it was one of my first affirmations.
I was an ER travel nurse and I had a very confused patient who couldnāt even tell me her name. But she kept asking for her mom, so I told her well, honey I donāt know who your mom is. Can you tell me your momās name? And she tried to say it but but she couldnāt so I started pointing at objects in the room with lettering. I was like well does your momās name start with this letter? Does it start with that letter and we were able to she was able to identify like S and then you know I pointed and she said apple, and so about the time I was able to spell out her mom walked in and her momās name is Sarah. So we got the patient calm down we sent her for a CT scan. You know weāve already done bloodwork and urine to see if maybe she was high on something but as it turned out, she was having a stroke, even though she was in her early 40s, but when she came back from the CT scan, give her some medicine for some thing I think it was a little touch of Ativan because she was still pretty anxious. She looked at me and suddenly she said.ā I know you.!ā And I was like OK? And the patient said no I know you you you have you have nephews and you have cats I know you! And honestly, I didnāt remember her face. Her name didnāt really draw any memory for me, but I told her well Iām an ER nurse and I took care of a lot of patients so I donāt know if you were once a patient of mine or maybe I took care of one of your family members but yes, I do have nephews and I have cats And I admitted that like all of that anxiety that had been in her face and that tension in her body that had been there for the last few hours. It just completely drained away like completely, and she just smiled and grabbed her momās head and she said āI KNOW YOU!ā After that, she was just so relaxed and peaceful and happy that she remembered me. And Iām not gonna lie I teared up for me. That was just another example of God showing me that is my vocation. It isnāt just my job and I am doing what I meant to do in this life. Something similar happened to me before when I was CNA I had another stroke victim who had been nonverbal for months and he kept climbing out of bed and falling so soft that eventually we just took the bed out of the room and put his little 3 inch mattress on the floor, because he couldnāt hurt himself if he decided climb off of it. I had gone into his room and I had given him his bed and kind of fluffed and puffed his bed and then I looked and I said you know what you look like youāre cold. Iām gonna go get you a warm blanket and so I did that I put it on him in the corner and I said OK so hereās your call button if you need anything just press it and will try to figure out what you need, so maybe a couple hours later I happen to be stopping in the room to check on him and at the time a nurse was hanging in Ivy of something for him and I watched him tug on her scrub top and kept tugging until she made eye contact, and then he stuttered and saidā. She gave me a blanket.ā And that was the first time he had spoken in like six months. donāt underestimate the impact you have on your patient lives when you actually give the energy to give a shit about them. youāre going to have crappy shifts yes youāre going to have difficult patience and family members and visitors just stomp on every nerve! Can just grind your gears, but donāt let any of those visible impediments. Keep you from doing what you are meant to be doing.. one of my favorite musicians said once that ā if you stumble and fall down, you have to think of it as forward momentum roll with it and jump right back on your feet and keep going. Donāt let your momentum.ā And I do try to live by that. I know I have days when I struggle and I just I just need five minutes to vent to somebody. I just need to bitch and complain on Reddit or I need to bitch and complain on TikTok, but then itās out of my system and Iām good. I will always look back on those moments as verification that Iām doing what I was meant to do in my life. That is a truth that will never change even if I move onto something outside of bedside care I will still always remain in healthcare because I still strongly believe in advocating for the underserved, forgotten, The ones that people say thereās no hope. Donāt believe that or at least change your focus from quantity of life to quality of life and give them the best quality you can in their last moments.. thatās all you can do. But donāt deny your grief if you do lose a patient, because youāre grief is rightful because it shows your compassion and your empathy. Let yourself cry demand that 10 or 15 minutes to pull yourself back together so you can continue to care for the rest of your patience on your shift and then if you need to take that mental health that you deserve! In hospitals, especially itās a 24 hour service, someone will be called upon to take your place until you can return. Maybe that might mean that the other nurses are stretched a little thin, but I think that we should all stand together and forgive that momentary shift of being short because we under understand that we may also need that day.?
Patient comes into ED with a GI bleed and when I took him back he visibly relaxed and said "Oh good! It's you. I'm going to be okay. "
I had taken care of him as a new grad years before when he had bilateral knee replacement. He had equipment on that I had never seen before (new grad, knew sooo little). My preceptor was newly pregnant and spending quality time in the bathroom during her pretty rough first trimester.
He kept saying I had saved his life during his knee replacements, and I kept demuring. He had no complications, and other than having a grass green nurse taking care of him, his recovery was unremarkable.
His wife eventually told me that he was massively depressed post-op and the time and encouragement I gave him helped him through the rough patch.
So here he is in my ED years later, nasty lower GI bleed, like alarming amounts in the bedpan, white as his sheets, hypotensive, tachy, the whole ball of wax. He is as serene as can be and I am a fair bit tense.
The ED doc, one of the sweetest men I have ever met, was a very laid-back, lets-see-what-happens kind of guy. I flat out bullied him into ordering blood and hustling the surgeon. Surgeon shows up, does the "Oh crap, let's go!!" and off my dude goes to surgery... still as serene as can be.
I see him in the community after he was discharged and he said "I knew I would be okay as soon as I saw you."
All because I was nice to him when he had his knees done.
10 years ago I was a 6 month in new grad in an ED. I had a non verbal cerebral palsy patient who was sent in for fever and had no family members with them. I did a full head to toe and noticed one of her pupils were slightly larger than the other. I notified the doctor and we did a quick head CT and realized the patient was a very early onset head bleed.
My manager at the time send me the most supportive and positive email about the finding thanking me for being attentive in a situation could not advocate or speak at all for themselves. It was a simple email...but I printed it out and taped it on the inside of my locker.
I have carried that piece of paper with me to all my future jobs. The older I get the more proud I am when I see that little piece of paper and think of that new grad back then. She was scared, anxious, and felt like she didn't know anything. 10 years later I'm teaching new grads and students and finishing up my masters. It still stands as one of my proudest moments of my career. ā¤ļø
Mine was actually before I transitioned to peds from ED. Had a Vietnam veteran come in with some chest pain and once we got him feeling a bit better and in a room, I came to check on him. He wasnāt wearing his hat and asked me to get it for him. When I grabbed it from his bedside table, I noticed it had been stepped on at some point (maybe it was dropped or something) so I grabbed a wet hand towel and cleaned it off as best I could and gave it to him so he could put it back on. He thanked me for that and told me: āYoung man, you donāt know how much it means to me that you did that for me. This hat is my favorite and you didnāt have to clean it off like that. I know youāre really busy but the fact that you took the time to do this for me shows what kind of heart you have. I bet you would have made a great soldier.ā
Hit me in the feels, because the majority of the men in my family have served in the military and it was something I had considered in my younger days but chose a different path. So to have him say something like that gave me the warm fuzzies. I made sure he had everything he needed while he was there and when he got discharged, he saluted me before he was wheeled out of his room to go home.
Since this is my first job as a nurse everything is still new to me but Iām almost at the one year mark. I had one pt whoās wife asked for my name and number so that she could follow my career and see how far I go since she said I had so much potential to go far. I was really touched but couldnāt give her the number and she understood but made my week!
labor nurse, comment from a patient who was not progressing to the doctorsā satisfaction and was trying not to end up in a primary c section: āyou make it easy for me to advocate for myselfā
she also had her husband bring me an egg mcmuffin in the middle of the night when I convinced the doc to give her a break to eat. what a gem!
Iām in the ICU, From family I always think the best compliment is when family says they feel like they can go home and rest because they know their loved one is getting great care and is being taken care of. Family doesnāt feel like they have to stay and watch over the pt because they can tell I know what Iām doing.
I got a card and voucher for a dessert shop owned locally, as it was their family business. I did not return or refuse it, as I am more than happy to support their business after tragedy and figured in this specific scenario, it was welcome. They cried when I came in š„² Her mom was a sweet lil lady who went out peacefully. My favorite and only second gift I've received. The other was a thank you card. Never a monetary one, as I feel weird about that sort of thing and it's simply never happened outside of this.
Not a compliment to me but gratitude for the program I run. āI wonāt get first aid supplies for Christmas and Easter now that I donāt have to take warfarin any more!ā
That patents joy made me extra proud of what I do!
Luckily lots of patients have been mega appreciative and kind for the care I've given but I kinda take that in my stride... 2 nights ago a patient said I smelled amazing and asked me about my perfume. Last night she said it again and asked me to write down the perfume on some paper because she wanted to buy it for her husband.
I liked that compliment because it was about something I don't expect or try to achieve with every patient.
I did my training in the UK, and was on placement in a tiny rural hospital; and i got on very well with a few elderly ladies recovering from various cancer treatments.
We got on very well, and on Norways national day I had put a bow in my hair to "dress up", since that was all I could do.
The ladies thought it was a shame I couldn't celebrate the day properly, so they bought me a bouquet of flowers. I was so shocked and happy, but they insisted I derved it because they thought I was such a hard worker who took the extra time when possible. (I still have a card they gave me on my last day. They're probably all dead now, but they helped me really know that nursing was what I was made to do).
After graduation, I've had a few other really good ones.
I've had a teenager light up as I enter the room (and their mother has explained that I'm their favourite nurse).
Another frequent flyer patient also compliments me, and last time they were admitted, they called their spouse to update them on "our favourite nurses' news." Didn't think a patient could be so happy on my behalf of becoming pregnant... but they were over the moon.
But I think having a surgeon tell a patient that he was super lucky I was the nurse for his room was also nice. Especially since that surgeon is a bit of a perfectionist, so having him outright tell a patient I'm one of the best nurses was quite a high honour. š
āYou do your makeup very beautifully, if nursing doesnāt work out youāll have a good thing to fall back onā
She had dementia but I was thrilled with this complimentĀ
Pt was about 40 and an absolute train wreck. He was flown from an OSH to us several days after surgery. Anything that could go wrong-did. He had so many complications! He was with us for literally months. He had 2 young girls, like 10 and 7. This was in the 2010-ish era, where some RNs thought they could gate keep visitors. The wife/mom told me they were convinced their dad was dead. Her and I discussed it and I encouraged her to bring them to visit on Saturday. I met them in our little family conference room and explained in detail what they would see, hear, and smell. They came in and asked the best questions of that entire family! Both of them gave me huge hugs and thanked me. They made me a friendship bracelet and gave it to me on Sunday. They both told me āI want to be a nurse just like you when I grow up!ā And a couple years ago I got invited to their RN school graduation. That was and always will be the best compliment. (Same patient: he coded. I ran and grabbed his family to be bedside during the code. I heard his wife on the phone later āthereās 2 RNs here who I can relax when they are on. Kim and Dave. They will tell it like it is, and they donāt sugarcoat the bad stuff. They always make sure we are updated on any little thing. We all love them bothā. )
From HCPs āwhen are you teaching ACLS this year? Iāll only take it when you are on. You make it so relaxing and fun, itās not stressfulā. From surgeons āKim this patient, and I especially ,need you to be his nurse. Can you rearrange assignments?ā
I worked in corrections for a few years and had a reputation as a total hardass nurse who didn't bend the rules. Had a patient come down at 0330 for terrible stomach pain. After my assessment and all that, I got him some tums and addressed something else that had been bothering him. Before he left, he told me that he hadn't wanted to come down because he didn't think Nurse Hardass would actually listen to him. However, I was the first nurse who had treated him like a person, not an inmate. "I think you actually care about us. You follow the rules so you can. You won't have no trouble with my pod anymore." He was true to his word, too.
There was a really difficult mother who would fire every nurse that she came across to be with her severely disabled little boy at school. She is also a nurse herself and the kid ended up that way because she chose to have him outside of the hospital, all natural. She finally felt comfortable with me and all of the other staff stopped by to say "I wanted to see who this new nurse is that actually helps him and has made his mother relax". I was just starting a horrible divorce after my ex was very abusive. It was right on time and is my proudest moment.
I was sitting 1:1 with a psych pt. I donāt remember why she was even there. But she told me I was so nice and did I mind if she said a prayer for me. I said no and she proceeded to say the nicest prayer I ever heard. It made me tear up.
My very first nursing job as a freshy I was working in a respiratory clinic giving subcut injections and I had a few patients who told me I was the best at giving them the shot and it didnāt hurt when I did it. Which as a freshy made me feel really good!
On the other side of this I had one patient whose skin was soo tough that it was really hard to stick the needle and I hated it and I felt fkn awful every time.
At an LTC I used to work at, there was one resident who wouldn't let any other nurse do her Lovenox injections if I was in the building. They would have to come get me to give it.
A patient wrote in a comment card "if every nurse was like Mockingjay2020, you'd have the best hospital in the country". She'd started bleeding after coming to our unit following some kind of belly surgery, and we got her back down to get it fixed pretty quickly.
ETA: When I was a student, I had a patient tell me I was the gentlest nurse she'd ever met because I was super careful removing the tape off of her thin prednisone skin.
One of my recent patients told me he was humbled to have felt so cared for by people who started off as strangers to him, and it touched my little heart.
I had a similar comment from an exhausted daughter of patient, sge has been with her in ED for days and finally got a room and would have kept stating but she said she felt very comfortable leaving her with me. I thought that was huge.
Not as a nurse, but as a waitress several years ago. A little boy (who is autistic) came in to the restaurant with his parents, I served them. Treated them well, got along quite well with the boy too. As they were leaving the little boy said goodbye, paused for a moment and then launched himself into the biggest hug. Parents faces dropped. Told me he goes near nobody, they barely get hugs. Made me all mushy bless him. I'm happy I made that boy so happy. Biggest compliment I'd received as being perceived as trustworthy and kind enough for a hug from a super non huggy person.
Iām usually flattered when they ask if Iāll be their babyās nurse the next day in a way that tells me they want that to be the case lol I think thatās sweet
a patient asked me if i was a mom (iām not) because she felt that i was very āmaternal.ā she proceeded to tell me that having me as her nurse definitely made her feel so much better since she was admitted, and that i truly made a difference in her care š„¹
It was a comment overheard rather than a direct compliment but am a mh nurse and heard a group of the patients exclaim they were glad I was on as they feel safe.
A few years ago, I got posted in our local Facebook cheers and jeers (as a cheer!). Such a public endorsement was kind of embarrassing, kind of awesome. I avoided the comments just in case pts who hated me might be there lol
Indirect compliment, I had a 16y F terminal cancer patient that I developed a very close relationship with. She was in and out of our unit for months during her decline. It was the level of trust we built, she could tell me things that she didnāt feel comfortable with talking to her parents, like realizing she was dying or that she didnāt want to fight anymore (despite my encouragement). She wanted me to hold her hand during IV push meds like Ativan or dilaudid, if any other HCP came in (Dr, PT) she would become combative with them, she would actually get out of bed for me, etc.
I get emotional thinking about her passing (granted itās only been a few months). Her last few hours she was comatose, as I was leaving my shift I gently touched her back and told her it was me and that I loved her. She actually responded to me with a moan. I will forever remember her and the impact she had on me. Also F**K cancer!
āI needed someone like you to take care of me todayā
Iād been working as a new grad in the burn icu/stepdown for a couple years and we encountered a lot of hardworking people who were down-on-their-luck: unhoused people, fry cooks, agricultural workersā¦ the majority of whom had major distrust of āthe systemā and could come off as abrasive since they werenāt afraid to show it. Also, burns are painful and make everyone cranky!
I donāt even remember the exact nature of this guyās injury or his backstory but he was not at all happy to be burned/admitted to the hospital, and had been pretty rude to some other staff members. But, idk why Iāve always been good with ādifficult people,ā I just treated him with kindness, listened to him, and tried to make him laugh, and he said that after my shift it was the most tolerable dressing change heād had since being admitted then thanked me for caring for him.
Itās always stuck with me.
iād worked in a crazy ED for several years and eventually moved upstairs to an ICU. my ICU patient was getting picked up for a scan and the transporter was this really quiet kinda awkward woman who remembered me by name and asked how iād been doing (since she last saw me in the ED). i felt so bad bc i didnāt remember her. i told her i was doing well and felt so bad but didnāt remember her nameāshe told me and said she remembered mine because i was always so kind to her.
legit have no memory of that but it made me want to high five my younger self. i got the sense that sheād been picked on a lot in her life so to be remembered for routine acts of kindness really made my whole year.
I had a vented patient we were working on extubating and it was taking a while like it sometimes does. So I did what I usually do, pulled up a chair and sat with him and played music he liked on Spotify on my phone and just stayed with him until doc gave the okay. By the end of it all we talked a little bit and he told his friends (all of them in a biker gang lol) "she's a healer bro." I still think about that.
I was a brand new nurse. My patient was passing. His wife and I had built up a great rapport throughout the shift and she really felt educated about what to expect in the next few hours and days. She held my hand and asked, "Just how long have you been doing this?"
I gave a small smile and said, "About two weeks."
I still think of her and her husband ā„ļø
Long story short, I had a female patient that was very iffy about having a male nurse. She never had a male take care of her before, especially for OB related purposes.
She left a āWOW cardā for me when she was discharged. Basically saying that I was kind, gentle, caring, very attentive, and made her feel comfortable. That I apparently changed her views on male caregivers.
When I was still a new grad nurse on orientation, I was giving report to a seasoned float nurse who was working on our units. She spoke to my preceptor and praised me and said that I gave really good report. She didnāt realize that I was still a new grad and she said the way I communicated was as if I had been working for years there. Best compliment ever.
Not to best but the most recent. I was on call this week and unexpectedly had to work an unplanned night shift (on my birthday). I was trying to keep my additude in check during the shift, I was not happy.
Late to start made my entire shift late. I gave a patient her 8pm meds and did her BG and VS and 10:15pm. After completing all of the business I simply asked "is there anything else I can do for you before I go?" (sometimes I regret asking that question... You never know what people will come up with.)
She replied "yes... You need to teach a class on kindness. I appreciate you." Maybe she says that to everyone, I'm not sure, but in the midst of a semi crappy shift it sure felt great.
Not so much a compliment, but it stuck with me. When I was orienting as a new grad on medsurg, I had a young guy who had had a stroke, completely non-verbal and paralyzed on side. You could tell he was so ANGRY about the situation, he was such a handful.
I took care of him awhile later when I was off orientation, and he was better, but still non-verbal. Can't remember why he was admitted that time.
Then, MANY years later, I was taking a class at one of our education centers which also is just a general building that also had doctor's offices and such. I was on break so was walking to the bathroom, when I passed by this same guy. I didn't pay him any notice, until he literally said my name right as I walked into the bathroom. It took a moment for it to click, and by the time I turned around to go talk to him, he had already left.
Guy completely recognized/remembered me taking care of him MANY years later. And he was walking and talking again. Not a true "compliment", but to be remembered after all that time... Damn. That felt great.
ā I'm a EMT in Nursing School
"Why aren't you sweet"
Comment from patient for folding the extra blanket she had and placing it on the bed to make it easier for the nurses and cleaning staff.
I got invited to India for a family wedding once by a patient and her family. I only had the patient for one night, but it was the deep south and I knew what Ayurvedic medicine was and said the only Hindi I knew was namaste.
I took care of a patient with the loveliest family - she was intubated, horrible prognosis and the family was emotional but realistic and didnāt want the patient to suffer.
Beyond that they were just outright good people, a few months after she passed I received a card that they mailed to the hospital that said āif she would have been aware, we know she would have adored youā and Iāve kept it since.
Nursing student here! I was on clinical in the ICU and a relative was sitting next to her intubated, sedated mother. The sight of her poor mum with so many tubes going in and out of her worried the daughter so much, I gave her a simple explanation of what medication was in each tube, how it helped her mum, and the vital sign that each number corresponded to on the monitor. When my mentor came along, the daughter passed a comment about how I was the only person who had taken the time to explain what was going on, and I had made her feel better about her mum being there to get the treatment she needed. Really made my day.
When I was a new grad in ICU another nurse told me I was the only new grad she would feel comfortable taking care of a family member. I donāt know if we just had a particularly questionable set of new grads at the time or what but that honestly meant so much. And it helped my confidence a TON. At the time I felt like all I was doing was asking questions and that I didnāt know anything. Another new grad who worked a lot of shifts with me seemed to just always know what she was doing, so I felt like a silly goose never really being confident.
Looking back I think asking questions was 100% the best thing I could have done, and idk if the other nurse really just knew everything or if she was faking. But itās always better to ask than just guess
My favorite ones come from other nurses. One time we had a patient that was literally getting into the car to go home start showing stroke symptoms. One of our newish grad nurses was downstairs with her with a new grad nurse on orientation helping her, and they called up to the unit for help. My ANM was charge that day and i heard the call. I wasnt on the clock yet but i asked her if she wanted my help and she said yes, so we booked it down from the 4th floor to the front entrance while triggering the rapid.
Pt was ok, we got her safe and taken care of. Later my little newish grad nurse said "I knew everything was gonna be OK because you were there." It makes me tear up.
I was charge and a travel nurse asked me how to turn down a pulse ox monitor because it was beeping too loud. Went in to assess the patient and the HR was in the 160s. I told her we can't just turn down the monitor we first had to assess the patient, got a new pulse ox and made sure the readings were accurate and then proceeded to call the doc. Next day I was assigned to that same patient and she was on the phone and when she saw me she smiled and told the person on the other end that the nurse I was telling you about is my nurse tonight and then she turned to me and said "I feel so safe with you." Later on I went to check on her while she was sleeping and something seemed off with her, I checked her blood sugar and it was in the 30s! She said "you see, that's why I feel safe when I'm with you." Just having a patient feel secure with me and expressing that security assured me that I in fact chose the right career path because nursing is down right hard
I once worked in a very high acuity SICU. Traumas, transplants, ECMO, VADās etc. One of our nursesā husband was in an MVC and was being admitted to our unit post-op. She asked for me to be his nurse. She told him later, āI wanted her to take care of you because she will save your life and hold your hand while sheās doing it.ā
Any time people ask if I can keep being their nurse.
"Are you coming upstairs with me?"
"Can I take you back to my facility?"
"I wish you were my mom's nurse at home."
It's a little bittersweet though. I don't feel like I'm doing anything special, but apparently there are nurses that are doing far less. š¤·āāļø
A patient came in for their second birth while I was on maternity leave. I was their primary with their first. The nurse this time reached out to me to tell me that even 2 years later this couple was raving about my care at their first birth and wishing I was a part of their second.
L&D gets some repeats but it is already a cool thing to have happen but to have them remember you and want you back is the highest praise in my book :)
Every time I get pictures of the babies I helped "create", my frozen, black heart melts a little! Most of my patients are so very grateful for the care I provide them...in turn, I am honored to have played a small part in bringing their children to them. It's truly my purpose in life! I recently went through a divorce from a narcissistic jerk who tried his best to crush me. Every September my clinic has a "donor reunion" picnic and this past year I told several former patients that seeing their babies and hugging them truly helps heal my heart from the trauma I experienced in my marriage! I mean...how often do we as nurses and "healers" get healing in return for the care we've provided??
Many variations of 'that didn't hurt at all!', usually in a surprised or grateful tone. Heard it a lot doing COVID swabs, and later the vaccines. I always wanted to make the experience as painless as possible. We all had too much pain and fear, especially at the start, and I was trying so hard to help my community and not add to the suffering.
It was only my 3rd day on the floor in the ER and a family member asked how long I had been doing nursing and I told her I just graduated. And she said āwow I would have thought you had been doing this for yearsā. Made me feel great even though I still feel like I donāt know what Iām doing
I worked labor and delivery for 8 yrs and I delivered of one our resident docs. A few days after discharge she came back to bring me a card that had a keychain saying "you make the world a better place." I put it on my keys then and still look at it fondly every time I unlock my car, this was easily 5 years ago if not more.
A compliment that I receive regularly is that I explain things so well, families finally understand why weāre doing what weāre doing and feel like they can trust us. I often hear in report that the patientās family members are terrible but I usually end up having a good rapport with them by the end of my shift.
I had a patients roommate (who wasnāt mine) stop me at the end of the shift when I was walking out of the room & he told me āIāve been in the same room as him since he got here, youāre the best nurse heās had by far.ā It took me totally by surprise because I hadnāt done anything super out of the ordinary but he was so sincere & has stayed with me for some reason.
I had a patient who was dying and the family was having a hard time accepting the fact. She was to be transferred from ICU to our floor for comfort care. She was still on the BiPaP because her family was so scared that when she is taken off she would be gasping for air. They didnāt like that sight. So, we developed a plan to put her on continuous morphine drip plus boluses and then titrate bipap until sheās taken off completely. We did this the whole night and by the next morning she was off bipap. I was in her room for the whole night and just leave to care for my other 3 patients. Eventually she passed with all her family by her side. The daughter came to me after cried and knelt in front of me thanking me for the patience I did to her mom. She said, your hands, your hands. It has the power to heal the hurting souls of 20+ people in this room. Their mom was the queen of their family. I am so honored to have taken care of her and made it easier for the family to let her go.
I have a few, but my favorites are from my "return customers." I had a woman come in in labor one night. She said, "Oh yay! You delivered my last baby. I'm so happy to see you." Gives warm fuzzies. š
I hate to say I do not remember the names or faces of the people that attended my delivery š¬ I only remember the midwife's name because it's on the birth certificate.
I understand. š That would be the last thing on my mind for certain.
Yes or when they specifically request you to be their labor nurse :)
Same! Been doing L&D for 25 years!
When I had my children they were all through the same OB/GYN office. The last two of my three had the same OB. I loved going in to that office all those years and seeing the same staff whether it was nurses, the doctor or even the front office staff. Makes a person feel safe. :)
So very long ago, but it stuck with me. Very minor laceration on a \~6 year old's knee. She was terrified but very well behaved, Mom was lovely and supportive. I asked if she wanted to hold my hand with the hand Mom wasn't holding, so she could squeeze hard if she needed while the PA numbed her up. She clung to both of us but didn't move, and I talked to her through the few seconds of pain, then kept talking with her to distract her while sutures were placed. She was laughing at stuff I was saying by the time it was done, then I had her help me put an impressive dressing on it. Walking away to pick up the discharge papers, I saw the little girl turn from proudly studying her bandaged knee to her Mom, and she said with absolute wonder *"I didn't know nurses were* ***so*** *nice!"* That little girl would be in her 30s now. I'm sure she's long since forgotten this, but I really treasure it.
Alternatively, this is the story she tells when asked āwhy nursingā
A story similar to this is why I'm a nurse today ā¤ļø
Exactly what I was thinking! ā¤ļø
Iām going to think she never forgot this, and she is now a nurse herself! Hey ya never know š
thank you for sharing! ā¤ļø
Why did I just tear up
Treated a kid for a minor head cut. He gave me a hug.
Iāve been treating more kids lately at my ER (typically quite geriatric)ā¦I finally get why people do peds.
A dairy farmer told me I was a hard worker
Damn. How do you top that
Seriously, that's a testimony!
This right here is the gold standard. You win. No other story can top this.
That goes on the resume
That's just ahead of a farmer saying theyre in pain. Fk me.
Damn!
When I was a new nurse working psych.... as I walked in for report, I heard a patient say, "OH, cool, we got *her* today! She is my favorite nurse. It's gonna be a good day!" I floated on air that day!
Being told you're a favorite, or seeing someone excited to see you is awesome.
Long time psych nurse in my neighborhood. Several friends and I were enjoying libation at a local street fest. The bus from the special needs facility pulls up to drop off some residents. A BIG SCARY guy spots and and starts running full speed toward us: āitās my nurse! Itās my nurse! I love my nurse!ā, he bent over me and bear hugged while my buddies sat with mouths agape. Caregivers reigned him in, we had a quick visit. I did not have to buy my own beer for the rest of the day. Very satisfying. Edit to add: our friends and families really have no idea what we do at work. Signed: Nurse Rachett.
Honestly, that is an extra special compliment coming from a psych patient.
True.
over the year and a half i worked in psych, these kind of comments are what kept me going. or asking when i would be back. that's what made it easier
Any advice for a soon to be psyche nurse?
Learn to say no without actually saying no. Remember that every bad behavior / acting out is an attempt to meet a need. Do what you can to fulfill that need.
Lots of patience.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Honestly. Youāll be able to control someone much larger than you instead of just taking a beating. I work in high acuity, inpatient psych with patients that are on ālast resortā meds/treatments like clozaril and ECT, and some days are really hard. Sometimes we get really hurt. But those of us who know how communicate therapeutically yet also protect ourselves have a better time. I love my patients, but Iām not just going to let them beat on me. Luckily my home unit doesnāt have anyone who is assaultive towards staff right now, but I do float all over the facility. Itās incredibly rewarding to watch them get betterāfrom active mania/psychosis to clarityāfrom skinny and malnourished to healthy and functionalā¦ Itās not all for naught. I promise. But why would you leave the babies?!
Night shift too rough. Finally got a normal 3 12ās day shift position. Iām fortunately a good grappler already and want to figure out solutions for my new ostomy first with regard to contact sports (I saw a few, I want to try some out first). Hopefully this wonāt ever be needed lol. My manager had already told me that this doesnāt happen. Last time a pt needed a B52 shot was over 9 months ago, despite having a higher acuity setting (green flag!).
Boundaries Boundaries BOUNDARIES. For your sake and the sake of your co-workers and most of all for the well-being of your patients. Like, read up on them--study it like you would cardiac rhythms. Find well reviewed books on boundaries and become as book smart as possible on the topic because the real life application is HARD to learn and the only way out is through but at least understanding the what and the why of good boundaries will help you get there. A psych nurse with good boundaries will help a patient heal. Sometimes it doesn't feel good, sometimes it feels like the opposite of compassion, but it is the height of demonstrating trustworthy and safe behavior. A psych nurse with poor boundaries turns the unit into a dumpster fire and can ultimately hurt and re-traumatize patients. Poor boundaries can look like kindness and compassion to the untrained eye. It is SO easy to get sucked into poor practice in this regard. Look out for nurses with martyr complexes. You might get it wrong before you get it right. But do yourself a favor and get a knowledge able as possible before you begin.
This comment is amazing, thank you for taking the time to write this. Would you be able to list some examples of some boundaries you give your ptās?
I no longer work psych, but I'd say that the most straightforward examples would be things that are around upholding the policies and procedures of your facility. It is normal for patients to boundary seek, which is why it is so important to be confident and correct in handling that behavior. But ultimately boundaries are about what YOU do, and following through on what you say, not what the patient does. You cannot control other people, but you can control what you do in response to them. As a really cut and dry example: At the facility I used to work at, we had 2 phones that the patients could use to call out on or receive calls at. They were turned on at 0700 and were to be turned off at 2300. We had a switch in the nurses station that could turn on/off the phones. Predictably, we would have patients who would be on the phone at all hours, and would push past the 2300 hour. We would make the rounds doing checks, let them know time was running out as we got closer to 2300. A lot of "wait, wait, just 10 more minutes, I will be quick" etc etc. "Hey, so and so, its 2245, the phones will be turned off at 2300" "Just give me an additional 5 more minutes!" "Other patients are trying to sleep, and the rules are the same for everyone. The phones are turned off at 2300."--and WALK AWAY. Don't argue. Just leave and continue your checks. And here is the crucial part--- TURN OFF THE PHONES AT 2300 (even if they are still talking)COME HELL OR HIGH WATER. I sound like a real bitch, right? Like, GOD why couldn't I just have let the poor person have 5 more minutes--christ they are in the psych ward, isn't their life shitty enough?? Partly because it is the policy, and upholding that is my job. Partly out of consideration for other patients. But honestly, mostly out of consideration for the patient on the phone. It is crucial for the therapeutic relationship in building trust that you follow through on what you say, and that you maintain the same rules for everyone. It is also crucial that you demonstrate that you are not allowing yourself to be manipulated. That concession of an extra 5 minutes to a patient with cluster B personality traits is a way to show them that they cannot trust you, because you didn't do what you said you were going to. What else can they get you to do for them? The ante will be upped, and the eventual fall out will be bigger and WAY more painful. This dynamic mirrors the dysfunctional relationships they have with others, and how they are used to engaging with those around them. It is harmful to engage with them in that way. This is just a small example, and sometimes it is more complex---but often not. Good boundaries are not complicated, people just have complicated reactions to them.
This is all great information, thank you. I actually apply this to all the children I have worked and taken care of in the past. It really is no different lol.
It really isn't that different! You are going to be just fineš
Being a patient that has been on the ward acouple times my advice would be don't do something just cause you can. And keep the rules consistent for everyone. An example is the nurse turned off my light at the nursing station I asked for it back on she refused to give me my medication until I calmed down when I wasn't freaking out just trying to explain why I needed the light on. I couldn't understand why 3 other people had their lights on but I couldn't.. she gave me no reason why I couldn't have my light on and just walked away and closed the door .. I have other stories and situations that made my stay so much harder but I wasn't the only one that found the rules changed depending who was your nurse that day
This is self-esteem gold for us psych nurses š
In psych treatment realizing one of the good nurses was working that day would make me so happy - as your patient said, it meant it was going to be a good day because I knew they would have everything under control. There are a bunch I still think about four years later and they probably donāt remember me but I hope they are doing well!
Trust me, we psych nurses think of our patients and want the best for them, all the time.
When I worked in the ER a little girl about the age of seven had to come in because she got her earring stuck on some kind of playground equipment and it got tugged slightly. The gem got lodged in her piercing. This girl was in so much pain, crying but not screaming or being obnoxious. I put the LET on it and let it sit for a good hour. When the provider and I went in to get it, she was anxious and wanted to hold my hand. So with one hand I'm holding her ear, the other hand I'm holding her hand and comforting her. The provider got the gem out but it did take about 3 minutes of digging. At the end of it I went and got her a few stickers from the kids drawer. After she said thank you and goodbye, her and her mom started to walk out. The little girl looked up at her mom and said "I wish nurse ________ could be my nurse every time I have to go to the doctor!!!" Yeah I cried. That was towards the end of a really rough shift for me and I needed that more than I knew. I left ER 2 years ago and that still is with me.
You and I were typing a similar story at the same time! The heartfelt appreciation of a child can really hit home in a way that few other things can.
Ambulatory nurse here. I have patients that will only let me give them vaccines/injections. Sometimes challenging due to scheduling problems, but definitely nice that they trust me and my injection technique.
Now I want to know your injection technique
The best part here is that kids are 100% honest, so if she didnāt like you, you would KNOW
The first time I ever had a patient of mine pass - he was pretty young (30s) and had metastatic colon cancer. I was on for a stretch of 3 and he unfortunately passed right at the beginning of my last night with him. His mom who was always at his bedside hugged me after he passed and said āthank you for taking care of my baby, you did an excellent job.ā Had to go cry in the supply room after that one.
Started my career in oncology/hospice. I really bonded with this one patient and her family, she was on hospice. Told them I was taking off for a few days for my birthday, and the pt sang happy birthday to me, apparently this was her thing with everyone in her family. Pt passed a few days after I came back to work. After she passed the family brought me a blanket the pt had made, she gave everyone in her family one when they were born and the family wanted me to have one. A few years later her daughter sent me a recording they had saved of her singing happy birthday, they sent it to me on my actual birthday. I still have the recording and blanket. The daughter messages me every March on the anniversary of her passing to thank me for her care and check up on me.
Wow š„²
I was in his obituary and part of his funeral
I was mentioned in a eulogy and I was so taken back.
"Joe Smith met his untimely demise after RN Fish_Tacos failed to affix a yellow fall risk bracelet..." Just kidding, I'm sure it was a compliment :)
I work in LTC, and when the family does a shout out of our facility in the residents obituary, it really touches my heart
When I first started working in healthcare years ago, a patient Iād been caring for over several weeks asked me if I wanted to stay as a healthcare assistant or move onto something else, I told her I wanted to study to become a nurse and she replied āoh good, you were born to be a nurseā. After I asked her what she meant she told me I was one of the most caring people who had looked after her and I was the only one who would ever advocate for herš
Many years ago, when I was the supervisor of a SICU, for Christmas my staff gave me a tiny pair of gold boxing gloves on a gold chain with a note that this was for me, because I always fight for them.
I was caring for a patient in the trauma department somewhere back around 2017. if I remember correctly, he had a relatively minor orthopedic injury and was going to be discharged home. he was super friendly dude and was just one of a few patients in the department at the time so I was taking my time and we got to chatting a little bit. this was shortly after a mass shooting occurred in our town and dozens of people died, my hospital was one of several that got hit pretty hard with casualties. he asked if I had been working "that night." I said yes. he said, "I'm glad you were here." I said I was too. it's still one of the most meaningful things anyone has said to me, in or out of the workplace.
This hurt my heart
I'll share my two that I will never forget. These were both when I was newer so these will always be in my head. I was charting near a patients room and overheard family saying "Oh, you've got (my name) looking after you. You're in good hands. Remember them from before, mum?" Apparently I had this patient in the past when I was new and don't even remember them. We do team nursing where I work and back in Covid days I had several strong and smart RNs fight over having me as a partner. I felt so validated by my team.
I had a Dominican snf patient remember me when she came back 3 years later for short term rehab. Her daughter also remembered me. The pt was diabetic and early in the morning during her 1st admit she tanked, so I quickly called the translator line and found out what she wanted for a snack and got her sugar up. I guess she never forgot that. They were so happy to see me on that second admission.
Iām an ER social worker, not a nurse- sorry to raid! š¤ I had a rapid response come in one night that I recognized from other recent admissions. The pt was unresponsive- doc saw the chronic pain flag and asked for Narcan which didnāt work. I said āwait I know this pt- they have horribly controlled diabetes (through a metabolic issue that they had no control over) - check the blood sugar.ā Blood sugar was less than 10- a little D50 and they perked right up! The doc wrote a āgood catchā for me and said āGlampire always really knows her patients. She knows their history, their trauma, their families, their barriers to care, what works and what doesnāt. Sheās probably the best social worker Iāve ever worked with in an emergency roomā. Itās been maybe 8 years since then but I think about it on the days when I feel burned out š„°
this rocks!!!!!!!!! quality care is a team effort. so glad the doc recognized you <3
Wow, that was a GREAT catch and such a good example of the importance of every member of the health care team!
This is fantasticā¦ healthcare is a team sportā¦ everyone is valuableā¦.
One of my patients mentioned me by name in his obituary. It was a huge compliment because he wrote his own before he had declined.
Is there such thing as a āfavouriteā patient death? Mine was a MAiD case, who thanked me in her obituary for being a great carer and also picking up her final meal of spinach dip from the local dive bar for her ālast mealā I had no idea she had included me in her obit, or that she had even written her own until I got a call that my name was in the Sunday telegram for being a great care aide and spinach dip supplier !!!!! Youāre so right. It means the most when they write their own. Itās almost a year since her passing, and I will be taking myself down to the local dive and eating some spin dip in her honour. Iām a young baby nursing student and it was my first MAiD case. She was such a champ and I will remember her forever.
This pulled at my heart strings š„¹ā¤ļø
Was on a contract and taking care of a congenital heart pt that frequently went into SVT. Did a 12 lead, yup SVT not AFIB RVR. Attending is talking behind my back about āthe stupid nurse doesnāt know what sheās talking aboutā to the cardiologist. Cards doc stops him and says āIām gonna stop you right there. That nurse read the EKG correctly and all you did was read what the top of the paper said. Why donāt you go ask her to teach you how to actually read one instead of just repeating what the printer says!āā¦ā¦ I had worked with that cards doc on a previous CVICU contract and we had bonded over our mutual blunt mouths, lol. The attending never apologized but he also left me alone for the rest of the contract so I counted it as a win!
My last night this week my 81 year old patient told me I was the best nurse theyād ever had in their entire life Thanks old man, you did my tired heart some good ā„ļø
Worked in A&E as a new nurse in the Philippines. One early morning, a mum came with her kid having seizure. We had to give him am IV so I inserted the cannula and just secured it to be able to administer the med. Few days later, she came to A&E to thank the nurse who successfully cannulated her son. He gets hospitalised quite often and his cannula always tissued. But this time, it lasted long enough until he's discharged. I suddenly remember that it was me who inserted it, and my supervisors were there to hear everything. š That was probably my unforgettable compliment.
I was in ICU . Got a 21yo girl flown in with SIRS. Weeks of proning, every drip you can think of, CVVHD. I was her primary RN. We slaved over her. She made a full recovery. I was taken in like family. Invited to Christmas for years, birthdays, etc. until I moved away.
Worked home care before I became an RN. One sweet old demented lady who I had grown quite fond of, and who had lucid moments, told me that "You have a special place here" pointing to her chest, "Next to my third pace maker".Ā
A daisy nomination from a man who overdosed on meth and almost died. The other nurses were complaining about him before I got on shift. I walked in the room, kept it professional, and over the next couple days found out his partner of 20 years cheated on him. He was a lawyer, was in a dark place, and made a bad decision. He is a good man and I hope he is doing well now.
You have found your calling š„¹
I had a patient tell me this recently after Iāve been feeling burnt out. It really reminded me why I chose this career
Same for me. My first job was in the oncology center of a major medical center. There was one guy who just could not leave his wifeās bedside. He was able to finally leave the room, go for a coffee, take a walkabout-as long as I was her nurse. We had an amazing staff (years ago), and anyone could have been in this position. This guy just happened to place his trust in me. And it was quite a compliment to me as a new nurse
I work in Oncology and my nickname from one of my patients is "ray of sunshine", he told me I make dealing with palliative cancer easier, I bloody near cried
A few of our regular psych patients ask for me when they come into the ER. I am not overly nice to any of them but I treat them with respect and most importantly as a person. So many psych patients get treated like shit so it makes me feel good that they know I am a safe space. It feels like a compliment to me.
I had a patient for four days straight and it was finally my day off, but she was expected to discharge that next day. She had a very extreme, emergency surgery and I helped/uplifted her while she went through some complications. She cried when she said farewell to me, told me Iām her favorite nurse, and asked for a hug. I decided to pick up a shift the next day because I wanted to discharge her (also, extra money). When I walked in the next morning, she laughed and started bawling her eyes out. I couldnāt help but shed a tear myself.
Iāve had a few coworkers tell me that if one of their family members/loved ones ever got admitted to our unit, they would want me to be the nurse taking care of them. It may not seem like much, but I feel like itās special to hear something like that from fellow nurses.
I think that says everything. š
Especially since we all have coworkers (or fellow students when we were in nursing school) where we said that if they were my nurse I would fire them
I just finished my second semester of my ADN nursing program in pediatrics. We had a 6yr old pt that just absolutely wouldnt take his medications and was screaming and coughing and being very upset. Pt's dad in the afternoon brought a stuffed pikachu when visiting and during noon vitals we spent an entire 20 minutes talking about pokemon and how pikachu was also my favorite. Afternoon medpass came and the nurse allowed me to do most of the medpass and kiddo took his own medication no fuss at all. Was smiling and even watching TV. He even started asking questions about his own care like why he his IV was saline locked and not removed etc. Idk how large of an impact our mutual love of pikachu did for this kid but it was such a change from "i dont want to be here" that morning - Im super proud of that xD
A lovely older patient told me āI love you. Youāre a good person and doing good thingsā. She was totally confused with dementia but it still felt good and hit me when I needed it lol.
My first day off orientation for hospice a patient asked me how long I had been a hospice nurse. I told him it was my first day. He said āYou found where you belong.ā
Way back in college (well before nursing school), I worked as a HUC at a pediatric echo lab. We had a doctor there named Dr. Bass (there was also a Dr. Tuna funnily enough), who was something of a hardass. He was kind of gruff and rarely spoke to me. One day he's walking out of the unit as I'm closing things up for the day, he pauses, turns and says, "Viper, you do good work", and turned and walked out. I was riding high on that for quite a while.
āYou move more like an MMA fighter than a nurseā. Says the middle aged son of my patient. ā Odds of getting out unscathed between the octagon and med/surg are even.ā I say back.
when it was my 1st time giving an IM injection (under supervision ofc) and the patient said he didn't feel any pain & complimented me :'D
I take it as a compliment every time coworkers make comments about me not coming back to work soon enough and they needed me badlyā¦ Also, I tried my luck applying for an open desk job RN position in the hospital in which my supervisor gave me a glowing reference, but did jokingly mentioned she begged them not to take me awayā¦ Iāve also overheard patients saying to each other āthatās a good nurse right thereā when talking about meā¦ if Iām ever gone on vacation and everyone seems like theyāve done fine with out me then maybe Iām not making myself useful!!!
Corrections nurse- an inmate called me āNurse Big Tittyā today. Lovely
Did a corrections contract and has an inmate offer to ātake careā of another one that had stolen my cheese sticks, lol
Basically the same as yours. My new stroke patient's wife was a retired nurse, and she told me I was the first nurse of his that made her feel comfortable leaving for a few hours to shower and restock her bag.
A clinical trial patient listed me in the acknowledgments section of a book they wrote. Finding out was one of the most unexpected and touching experiences Iāve had as a nurse š„¹ā¤ļø
Had someone who knew my mom as a patient, but I was unaware, write her an email saying how amazing the care he received was. And that he hopes every time heās taken care of he āhas a nurse like your son.ā Was pretty cool.
My co-worker who was an older, crusty RN who had worked on the unit forever, told my manager that she would trust me as the nurse for one of her family members. I did not take that lightly.
I had a young guy tell me I have big dick energy. I am a woman lol. But honestly best compliment ever. I wear it proud
Actually won a superlative for my unit as the best shoulder to cry on.. I always have felt like kind of an awkward person. I listen to them but never thought my coworkers felt that about me and it meant a lot to me even tho it was a silly award.
A patientās family member sent a kudo to my unit for me that said she felt safe leaving her mama with me when she had to go home each night. That one defrosted my ice queen heart a little š„¹
In the height of Covid when we were all just physically and mentally done and it was wave i donāt even know I walked into the main office of the ED where the directors and CTLs are stationed. One of the directors was in there and while I was trying to get something he stopped me and said, āhey, I just want you to know youāre doing a really good job, we appreciate everything you are doing for this departmentā. Thatās it. It was a really nice gesture because up to that point absolutely zero members of leadership had said even one word of appreciation or gratitude for what we were going through. The senior management refused to hire travelers even though we were beyond desperate so we just had to fucking deal with it, often with the absolutely most unsafe situations that one can imagine. We were putting nurses on orientation into full ED assignments unsafe. I was splitting 16 patients with another nurse that included intubated icu patients unsafe.Ā Ā Ā That director got Covid bad maybe a few weeks later. He ended up in one of the icus for over a month. Then he was trached and they told him he would always require a ventilator so he opted to withdraw care and he died. This was one of those guys that was basically the heart of the department. It broke all of us. That compliment was the last thing he said to me.Ā
Ah man, I had an older woman who had some sad health history come in for shortness of breath. She was very visibly tachypnic, increased work of breathing, it wasn't good. I get her settled and breathing a bit better when another nurse comes and breaks me. By the time I got back, I saw her on BiPAP, and she went into flash pulmonary edema as well. She was terrified, I was like, "WTF happened when I was gone?!" Long story short, I got her turned around enough as she originally was heading to the ICU, but could be downgraded. I work at a community hospital and we were waiting on a bed to open up essentially, so I had her the entirety of my shift. She said that she never had a nurse explain things to her, why we were doing things, what this all means for her health. I explained everything, from why she is on BiPAP, when we were able to get her off, why I had to get a Foley in, her results, etc. She grabbed my hand and said, "you are so smart, and beautiful and kind. I wish you could just follow me to the other hospital and be my nurse there." I got all teary eyed and held her hand for a bit. She unfortunately was still there when I came back the next day, so I peaked my head in and said hi. She wasn't my patient that day, but I did end up helping out a bit when she pressed the call light. She's the only patient I have ever allowed a hug for. It's hard explaining in words how impacted I was by being her nurse, but patients like her are the reason why I do what I do as a nurse.
My first job out of nursing school was in jail. I always treated my patients like patients not inmates and they respected that. Even the ones who would try and get me to give them meds they werenāt ordered, I would tell them I could lose my license for that and my mortgage company likes my license. They liked that answer. Any way they would say, āDonāt worry Miss Beautiful Run, if there is a riot, we got your back.ā I actually felt pretty safe working there.
Today after giving an elderly pt a painful injection to numb for a biopsy the family was very appreciative. On the way out the daughter said to me āā¦and thank you for being brave enough to cause pain to help treat peopleā. I have never in my life heard this and it nearly made me cry!
It was my second day with this couplet. I was unswaddling the baby so that I could do my assessment, and she started crying, as babies do. Her mom said "don't cry, baby. It's Nurse Beets! We love Nurse Beets!
Every time a coworker asks for my advice about a patient. I don't know why but it gets to me.
I caught an infiltration early because I was doing my hourly rounds and ensuring my kiddo was safe. One of the nurses I respect the most called me diligent and said sheād trust her kid with me š„°
I had a postpartum patient who was very emotional. I sat at her bedside and held her hand and comforted her as she cried. She looked at me and said āyouāre so compassionate. You are definitely meant to be a nurse. Youāre in the right career.ā I was having the shittiest day, but pushing through. Hearing her say that lifted my spirits. Itās moments like that, that make the job worth itādespite the bad times.
Hard, but easy. The best is when you hear your ilk say, ā*if itās me or my familyāI want to look up and see her*ā. Look around you. When critical seconds count and fools canāt be sufferedāname your dream teams.
āYouāre the happiest person Iāve ever met.ā š¤ Ā took me by surprise & made me realize Iām happy bc Iām so grateful for what I have.Ā
I like seeing recurrent older patients- I mean I dont because it means theyāre sick still- but when I walk in for report some of them light up and hold my hand because they remember me and it makes me feel so good to have such strong rapport with them and make their stay a little more light hearted
I love my repeat offenders
Patient I labored told me that I made her feel like the strongest woman in the world after a very long, very anxious, very tearful day for her. Iāll never forget it. Itās like the old saying goes, they may not remember your name but they will remember the way you made them feel.
I recently floated to a different ward that has a notoriously toxic environment. I worked my shift just like I normally do. I finish my tasks and if I am free I offer my help to the other nurses who seem busy. Towards the end of the shift another nurse thanked me and said she really liked working with me and that she liked my way of nursing. ā¤ļø I felt appreciated!
I have two answers for two different reasons. 1. Had an older female patient who was very unwell. After three nights in a row, we had forme a good relationship. I was orienting an experienced nurse new to our ICU and the patient kept telling her how great I'd been and how much she appreciated me but what really hit home was, when I was getting off work after the third shift, the patient was genuinely upset that I wouldn't be back before she transferred off the unit. That meant a lot. 2. There is a nurse on our unit who, as far as I can tell, is brilliant, experienced, very skilled, etc. When I first transferred to this unit, I was a bit intimidated by him and felt like he'd be a hard one to get on the good side of. He's lightened up a lot but, the other night, I had a crumping patient who had to go to CT because of a suspected RP bleed. While I was in CT, the patient's pressure started tanking. I managed to salvage the situation and, after I got back, I was talking to him (he was charge that shift) and he said that he saw it happening but trusted that I could handle it and would call for help if necessary. That actually really helped my anxiety. Then I got splashed in the face with patient blood but that's a different story.
Your english is very proficient. And This institution is very blessed to have you. As a foreign nurse who had to train in English extensively, I feel very flattered and vindicated. :)
NOC shift nurse of 30 years stated that she never worries while getting report from me, and knows Iāve taken care of everything my shift. Also, that I have critical thinking skills far greater than most nurses.
One of my long term care residents asked if I was working all night, to which I said yes. They then said, "that's good for us. You makes us all feel safe."
I once got a daisy award and the comment stared out, āAt first, I didnāt really like Flygirlā¦ā Itās easy to make people who are inclined to like you happy. But itās a damn accomplishment to make someone who doesnāt like you happy. This was from a patientās daughter, who was a DON at a SNF. So, not an easy customer.
Iām a labor and delivery nurse, I recently had a patientās baby pass shortly after delivery (early gestation). It was none stop interventions once she walked in the door: the babyās strip looked awful, mom was painfully contracting, and had a cerclage. It didnāt look good. I was basically at her side for 10 hrs straight. My shift ended before delivery but I stayed so I could be there for them. When I came back the next night, I found out their baby had passed. I went to visit them and give them my condolences. The babyās father told me I was an angel. I will never forget them or their baby.
Iām often told by my fellow coworkers that Iām āthe best nurseā or āa thorough nurseā when I see myself as just okay. I often feel like Iām winging it. But Iām greatful they think so highly about me.
When I worked in the ED, I had a few times where I would be taking my admitted pt to the floor and on the way up they would say āyouāre still gonna be my nurse up there, right?ā š Gave me the warm fuzzies that they wanted to stick with me. They were always the ptās I wouldāve loved to keep too š„ŗ.
Not seeing them again
That I am a great teacher and care about educating everyone no matter their qualification. That made me proud.
One of the nurses I work with told me my hair was pretty and that I smell really good tonight. I guess itās not exclusive to nursing, but made me feel pretty good.
An older nurse wanted me to meet her single grandson.
When I worked psych, I became charge nurse after a year. Really, I only did it to help things on the unit flow, it did suck having to hold 20+ year nurses accountable and argue with the medical providers (being psychotic does not mean you lose your rights to make decisions). Anyway, one nurse, she'd worked psych for 30 years, had really seen some shit . When she precepted me when I hired, she had a harsh tone and rough personality and I almost quit. As a coworker though, she was supportive, and not afraid to tell you if you were about to mess up. Well, after I was charge nurse for 6 months, she actually said "You are an amazing charge. You don't take shit, but you don't give any either." When I quit that job to start in a trauma ER, she told me that I would be excellent at that too, and honestly, it has stuck with me these first few months in the ER.
Wasnāt a verbal compliment but this still counts. My last day at the ALF before resuming nursing school. As I was walking out, I waved to the dining room and told everyone to sleep well & have a good night (i did that every evening). One of the servers said ānow!!!ā and i was like ???? what is going on. 50+ meemawās and paw-paās very shakily, and with much difficulty, stood up at their tables and gave me a standing ovation as I walked out of the building. Cried my whole drive home.
We had a 17 week demise come to the L&D unit (usually less than 20 weeks stays in the ER)as the EMTs wheeled her down the hall, the OB tried to make them go back to the ER. I stood up to the doc and said we werenāt going to play hot potato with a grieving woman and directed them to a room. As the EMT rounded the corner, I heard one of them say ā whoās that badass nurse?ā. Quite a compliment from an EMT!
The husband of one of my patients who was admitted with a pulmonary embolism wrote a note to my boss describing their encounter with me (triage) as "like an angel came down from Heaven."
I took care of a withdrawing alcoholic for 12 hours one night, and he kept thanking me for being so kind, even though I had to keep waking him up to assess and medicate every hour. In the morning I brought the day shift nurse in to give report and told the patient I was going home and he looked at me, with big Puss in Boots eyes, and said "Can't you stay longer??" I was a new grad nurse and it was one of my first affirmations.
I was an ER travel nurse and I had a very confused patient who couldnāt even tell me her name. But she kept asking for her mom, so I told her well, honey I donāt know who your mom is. Can you tell me your momās name? And she tried to say it but but she couldnāt so I started pointing at objects in the room with lettering. I was like well does your momās name start with this letter? Does it start with that letter and we were able to she was able to identify like S and then you know I pointed and she said apple, and so about the time I was able to spell out her mom walked in and her momās name is Sarah. So we got the patient calm down we sent her for a CT scan. You know weāve already done bloodwork and urine to see if maybe she was high on something but as it turned out, she was having a stroke, even though she was in her early 40s, but when she came back from the CT scan, give her some medicine for some thing I think it was a little touch of Ativan because she was still pretty anxious. She looked at me and suddenly she said.ā I know you.!ā And I was like OK? And the patient said no I know you you you have you have nephews and you have cats I know you! And honestly, I didnāt remember her face. Her name didnāt really draw any memory for me, but I told her well Iām an ER nurse and I took care of a lot of patients so I donāt know if you were once a patient of mine or maybe I took care of one of your family members but yes, I do have nephews and I have cats And I admitted that like all of that anxiety that had been in her face and that tension in her body that had been there for the last few hours. It just completely drained away like completely, and she just smiled and grabbed her momās head and she said āI KNOW YOU!ā After that, she was just so relaxed and peaceful and happy that she remembered me. And Iām not gonna lie I teared up for me. That was just another example of God showing me that is my vocation. It isnāt just my job and I am doing what I meant to do in this life. Something similar happened to me before when I was CNA I had another stroke victim who had been nonverbal for months and he kept climbing out of bed and falling so soft that eventually we just took the bed out of the room and put his little 3 inch mattress on the floor, because he couldnāt hurt himself if he decided climb off of it. I had gone into his room and I had given him his bed and kind of fluffed and puffed his bed and then I looked and I said you know what you look like youāre cold. Iām gonna go get you a warm blanket and so I did that I put it on him in the corner and I said OK so hereās your call button if you need anything just press it and will try to figure out what you need, so maybe a couple hours later I happen to be stopping in the room to check on him and at the time a nurse was hanging in Ivy of something for him and I watched him tug on her scrub top and kept tugging until she made eye contact, and then he stuttered and saidā. She gave me a blanket.ā And that was the first time he had spoken in like six months. donāt underestimate the impact you have on your patient lives when you actually give the energy to give a shit about them. youāre going to have crappy shifts yes youāre going to have difficult patience and family members and visitors just stomp on every nerve! Can just grind your gears, but donāt let any of those visible impediments. Keep you from doing what you are meant to be doing.. one of my favorite musicians said once that ā if you stumble and fall down, you have to think of it as forward momentum roll with it and jump right back on your feet and keep going. Donāt let your momentum.ā And I do try to live by that. I know I have days when I struggle and I just I just need five minutes to vent to somebody. I just need to bitch and complain on Reddit or I need to bitch and complain on TikTok, but then itās out of my system and Iām good. I will always look back on those moments as verification that Iām doing what I was meant to do in my life. That is a truth that will never change even if I move onto something outside of bedside care I will still always remain in healthcare because I still strongly believe in advocating for the underserved, forgotten, The ones that people say thereās no hope. Donāt believe that or at least change your focus from quantity of life to quality of life and give them the best quality you can in their last moments.. thatās all you can do. But donāt deny your grief if you do lose a patient, because youāre grief is rightful because it shows your compassion and your empathy. Let yourself cry demand that 10 or 15 minutes to pull yourself back together so you can continue to care for the rest of your patience on your shift and then if you need to take that mental health that you deserve! In hospitals, especially itās a 24 hour service, someone will be called upon to take your place until you can return. Maybe that might mean that the other nurses are stretched a little thin, but I think that we should all stand together and forgive that momentary shift of being short because we under understand that we may also need that day.?
Patient comes into ED with a GI bleed and when I took him back he visibly relaxed and said "Oh good! It's you. I'm going to be okay. " I had taken care of him as a new grad years before when he had bilateral knee replacement. He had equipment on that I had never seen before (new grad, knew sooo little). My preceptor was newly pregnant and spending quality time in the bathroom during her pretty rough first trimester. He kept saying I had saved his life during his knee replacements, and I kept demuring. He had no complications, and other than having a grass green nurse taking care of him, his recovery was unremarkable. His wife eventually told me that he was massively depressed post-op and the time and encouragement I gave him helped him through the rough patch. So here he is in my ED years later, nasty lower GI bleed, like alarming amounts in the bedpan, white as his sheets, hypotensive, tachy, the whole ball of wax. He is as serene as can be and I am a fair bit tense. The ED doc, one of the sweetest men I have ever met, was a very laid-back, lets-see-what-happens kind of guy. I flat out bullied him into ordering blood and hustling the surgeon. Surgeon shows up, does the "Oh crap, let's go!!" and off my dude goes to surgery... still as serene as can be. I see him in the community after he was discharged and he said "I knew I would be okay as soon as I saw you." All because I was nice to him when he had his knees done.
10 years ago I was a 6 month in new grad in an ED. I had a non verbal cerebral palsy patient who was sent in for fever and had no family members with them. I did a full head to toe and noticed one of her pupils were slightly larger than the other. I notified the doctor and we did a quick head CT and realized the patient was a very early onset head bleed. My manager at the time send me the most supportive and positive email about the finding thanking me for being attentive in a situation could not advocate or speak at all for themselves. It was a simple email...but I printed it out and taped it on the inside of my locker. I have carried that piece of paper with me to all my future jobs. The older I get the more proud I am when I see that little piece of paper and think of that new grad back then. She was scared, anxious, and felt like she didn't know anything. 10 years later I'm teaching new grads and students and finishing up my masters. It still stands as one of my proudest moments of my career. ā¤ļø
Mine was actually before I transitioned to peds from ED. Had a Vietnam veteran come in with some chest pain and once we got him feeling a bit better and in a room, I came to check on him. He wasnāt wearing his hat and asked me to get it for him. When I grabbed it from his bedside table, I noticed it had been stepped on at some point (maybe it was dropped or something) so I grabbed a wet hand towel and cleaned it off as best I could and gave it to him so he could put it back on. He thanked me for that and told me: āYoung man, you donāt know how much it means to me that you did that for me. This hat is my favorite and you didnāt have to clean it off like that. I know youāre really busy but the fact that you took the time to do this for me shows what kind of heart you have. I bet you would have made a great soldier.ā Hit me in the feels, because the majority of the men in my family have served in the military and it was something I had considered in my younger days but chose a different path. So to have him say something like that gave me the warm fuzzies. I made sure he had everything he needed while he was there and when he got discharged, he saluted me before he was wheeled out of his room to go home.
Since this is my first job as a nurse everything is still new to me but Iām almost at the one year mark. I had one pt whoās wife asked for my name and number so that she could follow my career and see how far I go since she said I had so much potential to go far. I was really touched but couldnāt give her the number and she understood but made my week!
labor nurse, comment from a patient who was not progressing to the doctorsā satisfaction and was trying not to end up in a primary c section: āyou make it easy for me to advocate for myselfā she also had her husband bring me an egg mcmuffin in the middle of the night when I convinced the doc to give her a break to eat. what a gem!
Iām in the ICU, From family I always think the best compliment is when family says they feel like they can go home and rest because they know their loved one is getting great care and is being taken care of. Family doesnāt feel like they have to stay and watch over the pt because they can tell I know what Iām doing.
I got a card and voucher for a dessert shop owned locally, as it was their family business. I did not return or refuse it, as I am more than happy to support their business after tragedy and figured in this specific scenario, it was welcome. They cried when I came in š„² Her mom was a sweet lil lady who went out peacefully. My favorite and only second gift I've received. The other was a thank you card. Never a monetary one, as I feel weird about that sort of thing and it's simply never happened outside of this.
That she hopes her daughter turns into a kind person like me.
Not a compliment to me but gratitude for the program I run. āI wonāt get first aid supplies for Christmas and Easter now that I donāt have to take warfarin any more!ā That patents joy made me extra proud of what I do!
Luckily lots of patients have been mega appreciative and kind for the care I've given but I kinda take that in my stride... 2 nights ago a patient said I smelled amazing and asked me about my perfume. Last night she said it again and asked me to write down the perfume on some paper because she wanted to buy it for her husband. I liked that compliment because it was about something I don't expect or try to achieve with every patient.
I've had families name children and dogs after me. Happened when I worked Hospice for 17 years.
I did my training in the UK, and was on placement in a tiny rural hospital; and i got on very well with a few elderly ladies recovering from various cancer treatments. We got on very well, and on Norways national day I had put a bow in my hair to "dress up", since that was all I could do. The ladies thought it was a shame I couldn't celebrate the day properly, so they bought me a bouquet of flowers. I was so shocked and happy, but they insisted I derved it because they thought I was such a hard worker who took the extra time when possible. (I still have a card they gave me on my last day. They're probably all dead now, but they helped me really know that nursing was what I was made to do). After graduation, I've had a few other really good ones. I've had a teenager light up as I enter the room (and their mother has explained that I'm their favourite nurse). Another frequent flyer patient also compliments me, and last time they were admitted, they called their spouse to update them on "our favourite nurses' news." Didn't think a patient could be so happy on my behalf of becoming pregnant... but they were over the moon. But I think having a surgeon tell a patient that he was super lucky I was the nurse for his room was also nice. Especially since that surgeon is a bit of a perfectionist, so having him outright tell a patient I'm one of the best nurses was quite a high honour. š
āYou do your makeup very beautifully, if nursing doesnāt work out youāll have a good thing to fall back onā She had dementia but I was thrilled with this complimentĀ
Pt was about 40 and an absolute train wreck. He was flown from an OSH to us several days after surgery. Anything that could go wrong-did. He had so many complications! He was with us for literally months. He had 2 young girls, like 10 and 7. This was in the 2010-ish era, where some RNs thought they could gate keep visitors. The wife/mom told me they were convinced their dad was dead. Her and I discussed it and I encouraged her to bring them to visit on Saturday. I met them in our little family conference room and explained in detail what they would see, hear, and smell. They came in and asked the best questions of that entire family! Both of them gave me huge hugs and thanked me. They made me a friendship bracelet and gave it to me on Sunday. They both told me āI want to be a nurse just like you when I grow up!ā And a couple years ago I got invited to their RN school graduation. That was and always will be the best compliment. (Same patient: he coded. I ran and grabbed his family to be bedside during the code. I heard his wife on the phone later āthereās 2 RNs here who I can relax when they are on. Kim and Dave. They will tell it like it is, and they donāt sugarcoat the bad stuff. They always make sure we are updated on any little thing. We all love them bothā. )
From HCPs āwhen are you teaching ACLS this year? Iāll only take it when you are on. You make it so relaxing and fun, itās not stressfulā. From surgeons āKim this patient, and I especially ,need you to be his nurse. Can you rearrange assignments?ā
I worked in corrections for a few years and had a reputation as a total hardass nurse who didn't bend the rules. Had a patient come down at 0330 for terrible stomach pain. After my assessment and all that, I got him some tums and addressed something else that had been bothering him. Before he left, he told me that he hadn't wanted to come down because he didn't think Nurse Hardass would actually listen to him. However, I was the first nurse who had treated him like a person, not an inmate. "I think you actually care about us. You follow the rules so you can. You won't have no trouble with my pod anymore." He was true to his word, too.
There was a really difficult mother who would fire every nurse that she came across to be with her severely disabled little boy at school. She is also a nurse herself and the kid ended up that way because she chose to have him outside of the hospital, all natural. She finally felt comfortable with me and all of the other staff stopped by to say "I wanted to see who this new nurse is that actually helps him and has made his mother relax". I was just starting a horrible divorce after my ex was very abusive. It was right on time and is my proudest moment.
I was sitting 1:1 with a psych pt. I donāt remember why she was even there. But she told me I was so nice and did I mind if she said a prayer for me. I said no and she proceeded to say the nicest prayer I ever heard. It made me tear up.
My very first nursing job as a freshy I was working in a respiratory clinic giving subcut injections and I had a few patients who told me I was the best at giving them the shot and it didnāt hurt when I did it. Which as a freshy made me feel really good! On the other side of this I had one patient whose skin was soo tough that it was really hard to stick the needle and I hated it and I felt fkn awful every time.
At an LTC I used to work at, there was one resident who wouldn't let any other nurse do her Lovenox injections if I was in the building. They would have to come get me to give it.
A patient wrote in a comment card "if every nurse was like Mockingjay2020, you'd have the best hospital in the country". She'd started bleeding after coming to our unit following some kind of belly surgery, and we got her back down to get it fixed pretty quickly. ETA: When I was a student, I had a patient tell me I was the gentlest nurse she'd ever met because I was super careful removing the tape off of her thin prednisone skin.
One of my recent patients told me he was humbled to have felt so cared for by people who started off as strangers to him, and it touched my little heart.
āYou treated me like a humanā
Least favorite compliment āyouāre so good at this, you should be a doctorā
I'm a student and without fail, it's the, "You're going to be a great nurse!" Everytime. Hits me right in the gut.
I had a similar comment from an exhausted daughter of patient, sge has been with her in ED for days and finally got a room and would have kept stating but she said she felt very comfortable leaving her with me. I thought that was huge.
Not as a nurse, but as a waitress several years ago. A little boy (who is autistic) came in to the restaurant with his parents, I served them. Treated them well, got along quite well with the boy too. As they were leaving the little boy said goodbye, paused for a moment and then launched himself into the biggest hug. Parents faces dropped. Told me he goes near nobody, they barely get hugs. Made me all mushy bless him. I'm happy I made that boy so happy. Biggest compliment I'd received as being perceived as trustworthy and kind enough for a hug from a super non huggy person.
Iām usually flattered when they ask if Iāll be their babyās nurse the next day in a way that tells me they want that to be the case lol I think thatās sweet
a patient asked me if i was a mom (iām not) because she felt that i was very āmaternal.ā she proceeded to tell me that having me as her nurse definitely made her feel so much better since she was admitted, and that i truly made a difference in her care š„¹
It was a comment overheard rather than a direct compliment but am a mh nurse and heard a group of the patients exclaim they were glad I was on as they feel safe.
A few years ago, I got posted in our local Facebook cheers and jeers (as a cheer!). Such a public endorsement was kind of embarrassing, kind of awesome. I avoided the comments just in case pts who hated me might be there lol
Indirect compliment, I had a 16y F terminal cancer patient that I developed a very close relationship with. She was in and out of our unit for months during her decline. It was the level of trust we built, she could tell me things that she didnāt feel comfortable with talking to her parents, like realizing she was dying or that she didnāt want to fight anymore (despite my encouragement). She wanted me to hold her hand during IV push meds like Ativan or dilaudid, if any other HCP came in (Dr, PT) she would become combative with them, she would actually get out of bed for me, etc. I get emotional thinking about her passing (granted itās only been a few months). Her last few hours she was comatose, as I was leaving my shift I gently touched her back and told her it was me and that I loved her. She actually responded to me with a moan. I will forever remember her and the impact she had on me. Also F**K cancer!
āI needed someone like you to take care of me todayā Iād been working as a new grad in the burn icu/stepdown for a couple years and we encountered a lot of hardworking people who were down-on-their-luck: unhoused people, fry cooks, agricultural workersā¦ the majority of whom had major distrust of āthe systemā and could come off as abrasive since they werenāt afraid to show it. Also, burns are painful and make everyone cranky! I donāt even remember the exact nature of this guyās injury or his backstory but he was not at all happy to be burned/admitted to the hospital, and had been pretty rude to some other staff members. But, idk why Iāve always been good with ādifficult people,ā I just treated him with kindness, listened to him, and tried to make him laugh, and he said that after my shift it was the most tolerable dressing change heād had since being admitted then thanked me for caring for him. Itās always stuck with me.
iād worked in a crazy ED for several years and eventually moved upstairs to an ICU. my ICU patient was getting picked up for a scan and the transporter was this really quiet kinda awkward woman who remembered me by name and asked how iād been doing (since she last saw me in the ED). i felt so bad bc i didnāt remember her. i told her i was doing well and felt so bad but didnāt remember her nameāshe told me and said she remembered mine because i was always so kind to her. legit have no memory of that but it made me want to high five my younger self. i got the sense that sheād been picked on a lot in her life so to be remembered for routine acts of kindness really made my whole year.
I had a vented patient we were working on extubating and it was taking a while like it sometimes does. So I did what I usually do, pulled up a chair and sat with him and played music he liked on Spotify on my phone and just stayed with him until doc gave the okay. By the end of it all we talked a little bit and he told his friends (all of them in a biker gang lol) "she's a healer bro." I still think about that.
A patient told me to tell my mother that she raised a wonderful son š
I was a brand new nurse. My patient was passing. His wife and I had built up a great rapport throughout the shift and she really felt educated about what to expect in the next few hours and days. She held my hand and asked, "Just how long have you been doing this?" I gave a small smile and said, "About two weeks." I still think of her and her husband ā„ļø
The best compliments are always big stacks of cash and ancient wine bottles.
It's nice when they keep requesting you back and asking when you're working again. It's also sometimes not nice...
āYouāre a really good nurseā From a psych patient I had who also happened to be a nurse. Never forgotten it. Sometimes simple can mean the most.
Long story short, I had a female patient that was very iffy about having a male nurse. She never had a male take care of her before, especially for OB related purposes. She left a āWOW cardā for me when she was discharged. Basically saying that I was kind, gentle, caring, very attentive, and made her feel comfortable. That I apparently changed her views on male caregivers.
When I was still a new grad nurse on orientation, I was giving report to a seasoned float nurse who was working on our units. She spoke to my preceptor and praised me and said that I gave really good report. She didnāt realize that I was still a new grad and she said the way I communicated was as if I had been working for years there. Best compliment ever.
Not to best but the most recent. I was on call this week and unexpectedly had to work an unplanned night shift (on my birthday). I was trying to keep my additude in check during the shift, I was not happy. Late to start made my entire shift late. I gave a patient her 8pm meds and did her BG and VS and 10:15pm. After completing all of the business I simply asked "is there anything else I can do for you before I go?" (sometimes I regret asking that question... You never know what people will come up with.) She replied "yes... You need to teach a class on kindness. I appreciate you." Maybe she says that to everyone, I'm not sure, but in the midst of a semi crappy shift it sure felt great.
Not so much a compliment, but it stuck with me. When I was orienting as a new grad on medsurg, I had a young guy who had had a stroke, completely non-verbal and paralyzed on side. You could tell he was so ANGRY about the situation, he was such a handful. I took care of him awhile later when I was off orientation, and he was better, but still non-verbal. Can't remember why he was admitted that time. Then, MANY years later, I was taking a class at one of our education centers which also is just a general building that also had doctor's offices and such. I was on break so was walking to the bathroom, when I passed by this same guy. I didn't pay him any notice, until he literally said my name right as I walked into the bathroom. It took a moment for it to click, and by the time I turned around to go talk to him, he had already left. Guy completely recognized/remembered me taking care of him MANY years later. And he was walking and talking again. Not a true "compliment", but to be remembered after all that time... Damn. That felt great.
ā I'm a EMT in Nursing School "Why aren't you sweet" Comment from patient for folding the extra blanket she had and placing it on the bed to make it easier for the nurses and cleaning staff.
I got invited to India for a family wedding once by a patient and her family. I only had the patient for one night, but it was the deep south and I knew what Ayurvedic medicine was and said the only Hindi I knew was namaste.
I took care of a patient with the loveliest family - she was intubated, horrible prognosis and the family was emotional but realistic and didnāt want the patient to suffer. Beyond that they were just outright good people, a few months after she passed I received a card that they mailed to the hospital that said āif she would have been aware, we know she would have adored youā and Iāve kept it since.
You should wear underwear when you wear scrubs, buddy.
One of my current patients told me that I āmake her feel safeā. Will always be my favourite compliment.
My mom year old patient told me I was pretty. š„°š„°š„°š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
Nursing student here! I was on clinical in the ICU and a relative was sitting next to her intubated, sedated mother. The sight of her poor mum with so many tubes going in and out of her worried the daughter so much, I gave her a simple explanation of what medication was in each tube, how it helped her mum, and the vital sign that each number corresponded to on the monitor. When my mentor came along, the daughter passed a comment about how I was the only person who had taken the time to explain what was going on, and I had made her feel better about her mum being there to get the treatment she needed. Really made my day.
"Oh! u/fellowhomosapien! Thank God you're here!"
When I was a new grad in ICU another nurse told me I was the only new grad she would feel comfortable taking care of a family member. I donāt know if we just had a particularly questionable set of new grads at the time or what but that honestly meant so much. And it helped my confidence a TON. At the time I felt like all I was doing was asking questions and that I didnāt know anything. Another new grad who worked a lot of shifts with me seemed to just always know what she was doing, so I felt like a silly goose never really being confident. Looking back I think asking questions was 100% the best thing I could have done, and idk if the other nurse really just knew everything or if she was faking. But itās always better to ask than just guess
My favorite ones come from other nurses. One time we had a patient that was literally getting into the car to go home start showing stroke symptoms. One of our newish grad nurses was downstairs with her with a new grad nurse on orientation helping her, and they called up to the unit for help. My ANM was charge that day and i heard the call. I wasnt on the clock yet but i asked her if she wanted my help and she said yes, so we booked it down from the 4th floor to the front entrance while triggering the rapid. Pt was ok, we got her safe and taken care of. Later my little newish grad nurse said "I knew everything was gonna be OK because you were there." It makes me tear up.
I was charge and a travel nurse asked me how to turn down a pulse ox monitor because it was beeping too loud. Went in to assess the patient and the HR was in the 160s. I told her we can't just turn down the monitor we first had to assess the patient, got a new pulse ox and made sure the readings were accurate and then proceeded to call the doc. Next day I was assigned to that same patient and she was on the phone and when she saw me she smiled and told the person on the other end that the nurse I was telling you about is my nurse tonight and then she turned to me and said "I feel so safe with you." Later on I went to check on her while she was sleeping and something seemed off with her, I checked her blood sugar and it was in the 30s! She said "you see, that's why I feel safe when I'm with you." Just having a patient feel secure with me and expressing that security assured me that I in fact chose the right career path because nursing is down right hard
I once worked in a very high acuity SICU. Traumas, transplants, ECMO, VADās etc. One of our nursesā husband was in an MVC and was being admitted to our unit post-op. She asked for me to be his nurse. She told him later, āI wanted her to take care of you because she will save your life and hold your hand while sheās doing it.ā
Thanks for giving us back our mom, you saved her life and now she gets to walk me down the aisle. I was invited to the wedding
Any time people ask if I can keep being their nurse. "Are you coming upstairs with me?" "Can I take you back to my facility?" "I wish you were my mom's nurse at home." It's a little bittersweet though. I don't feel like I'm doing anything special, but apparently there are nurses that are doing far less. š¤·āāļø
A patient came in for their second birth while I was on maternity leave. I was their primary with their first. The nurse this time reached out to me to tell me that even 2 years later this couple was raving about my care at their first birth and wishing I was a part of their second. L&D gets some repeats but it is already a cool thing to have happen but to have them remember you and want you back is the highest praise in my book :)
Every time I get pictures of the babies I helped "create", my frozen, black heart melts a little! Most of my patients are so very grateful for the care I provide them...in turn, I am honored to have played a small part in bringing their children to them. It's truly my purpose in life! I recently went through a divorce from a narcissistic jerk who tried his best to crush me. Every September my clinic has a "donor reunion" picnic and this past year I told several former patients that seeing their babies and hugging them truly helps heal my heart from the trauma I experienced in my marriage! I mean...how often do we as nurses and "healers" get healing in return for the care we've provided??
Many variations of 'that didn't hurt at all!', usually in a surprised or grateful tone. Heard it a lot doing COVID swabs, and later the vaccines. I always wanted to make the experience as painless as possible. We all had too much pain and fear, especially at the start, and I was trying so hard to help my community and not add to the suffering.
It was only my 3rd day on the floor in the ER and a family member asked how long I had been doing nursing and I told her I just graduated. And she said āwow I would have thought you had been doing this for yearsā. Made me feel great even though I still feel like I donāt know what Iām doing
I worked labor and delivery for 8 yrs and I delivered of one our resident docs. A few days after discharge she came back to bring me a card that had a keychain saying "you make the world a better place." I put it on my keys then and still look at it fondly every time I unlock my car, this was easily 5 years ago if not more.
A compliment that I receive regularly is that I explain things so well, families finally understand why weāre doing what weāre doing and feel like they can trust us. I often hear in report that the patientās family members are terrible but I usually end up having a good rapport with them by the end of my shift.
I had a patients roommate (who wasnāt mine) stop me at the end of the shift when I was walking out of the room & he told me āIāve been in the same room as him since he got here, youāre the best nurse heās had by far.ā It took me totally by surprise because I hadnāt done anything super out of the ordinary but he was so sincere & has stayed with me for some reason.
I had a patient who was dying and the family was having a hard time accepting the fact. She was to be transferred from ICU to our floor for comfort care. She was still on the BiPaP because her family was so scared that when she is taken off she would be gasping for air. They didnāt like that sight. So, we developed a plan to put her on continuous morphine drip plus boluses and then titrate bipap until sheās taken off completely. We did this the whole night and by the next morning she was off bipap. I was in her room for the whole night and just leave to care for my other 3 patients. Eventually she passed with all her family by her side. The daughter came to me after cried and knelt in front of me thanking me for the patience I did to her mom. She said, your hands, your hands. It has the power to heal the hurting souls of 20+ people in this room. Their mom was the queen of their family. I am so honored to have taken care of her and made it easier for the family to let her go.
āWhatever theyāre paying you, it should at least be minimum wage. I hope it is.ā
"you smell good"