My Day

[nursejudy]

Posted by Alan Stubbs

quote:

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My son is studying nurding at Canterbury, and his 1st secondment was geriatric medicine. I am proud of the way he is thriving on it, but in his 1st week he sat with an elderly patient who had no family, during the last hours. He was then left with the deceased for 30 mins and then told to lay him out. He did, and was very distressed as a result. Still, he reasoned that it would now get easier. 3 months later and the laying out of over a dozen dead patients later, he rejoices in the nickname 'Harold'. Sick and sad, yet strangley funny. I hope he stays as highly motivated as he is at present.....by the way, he's a decent angler too.

 

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Alan you should be rightly proud of your son!

Its ashame that new students are still left to deal with such things alone and unsupported.

 

I thought that was a thing of the past!!!!!!No wonder a lot of nursing students do not complete their training.

He should have a mentor and be able to have Clinical Supervision,to discuss any problem areas or just to talk through any distressing events.

 

It never gets any easier dealing with death!

 

I started my training in 1968 ..thats giving my age away......

even after all those years,I find it unsettling and sometimes distressing.All I can do is do my best!!!!I sometimes think its the sense of humour you develop that helps you cope!!!!!

 

I have just come into the office for a coffee,before going to my next patient who is dying and I have to re-charge his syringe driver with the medication to keep him pain free.

 

On the other hand I came in to the office with 2 carrier bags a box of chocolate biscuits in each bag ,one for me and the other for the team! from a grateful patient..Which is nice

 

BUT it poses a slight problem we are not supposed to accept gifts!!!!!!!! Do I take my box home and scoff!!!!or do I leave them here for the rest of the team....

 

Sorry to ramble but I'm not looking forward to my next visit.!!!!!!!!

 

Judith

 

[ 07. November 2004, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: nursejudy ]

[chesters1]

theres something wrong with your keyboard nursey the first 8 came out as a 6

[Guest Ferret1959]

lyn:

---

Get some lavender oil, put 1 to 2 drops on some cotton wool and put in your ear. I promise you the pain & infection will soon go. The relief of pain will be noticable the next morning.

 

lyn

 

Cheers Lyn.

I'll try that next time, hopefully as far away as my last 'ear infection' 4 years ago.

 

[ 07. November 2004, 12:04 PM: Message edited by: Ferret1959 ]

[captain cojones]

hello judith. i just wanted to say i admire tremendously, the work that you nurses do. my youngest sister also is a nurse.you are all undervalued, and underpaid.its a pity that jobs arnt paid by their real worth.i.e footballers300 quid a week, nurses 3000 quid.very best wishes. dave.

[kendo]

your a nice grown up

[Alan Stubbs]

Alan you should be rightly proud of your son!

Its ashame that new students are still left to deal with such things alone and unsupported.

 

I thought that was a thing of the past!!!!!!No wonder a lot of nursing students do not complete their training.

He should have a mentor and be able to have Clinical Supervision,to discuss any problem areas or just to talk through any distressing events.

 

It never gets any easier dealing with death!

 

I started my training in 1968 ..thats giving my age away......

even after all those years,I find it unsettling and sometimes distressing.All I can do is do my best!!!!I sometimes think its the sense of humour you develop that helps you cope!!!!!

 

I have just come into the office for a coffee,before going to my next patient who is dying and I have to re-charge his syringe driver with the medication to keep him pain free.

 

On the other hand I came in to the office with 2 carrier bags a box of chocolate biscuits in each bag ,one for me and the other for the team! from a grateful patient..Which is nice

 

BUT it poses a slight problem we are not supposed to accept gifts!!!!!!!! Do I take my box home and scoff!!!!or do I leave them here for the rest of the team....

 

Sorry to ramble but I'm not looking forward to my next visit.!!!!!!!!

 

Judith [/QB]

 

Judy, I showed this to Robin:

 

His comments were:

 

I have a mentor nurse who in a debrief said that she was making a point about getting close to a patient. I felt it was a harsh way to go about it!

 

There was clinical supervision, with heads coming in every 10 minutes or so.

 

As for dealing with death, he finds it far easier than dealing with inconinence, or ladies in their

[Alan Stubbs]

Alan you should be rightly proud of your son!

Its ashame that new students are still left to deal with such things alone and unsupported.

 

I thought that was a thing of the past!!!!!!No wonder a lot of nursing students do not complete their training.

He should have a mentor and be able to have Clinical Supervision,to discuss any problem areas or just to talk through any distressing events.

 

It never gets any easier dealing with death!

 

I started my training in 1968 ..thats giving my age away......

even after all those years,I find it unsettling and sometimes distressing.All I can do is do my best!!!!I sometimes think its the sense of humour you develop that helps you cope!!!!!

 

I have just come into the office for a coffee,before going to my next patient who is dying and I have to re-charge his syringe driver with the medication to keep him pain free.

 

On the other hand I came in to the office with 2 carrier bags a box of chocolate biscuits in each bag ,one for me and the other for the team! from a grateful patient..Which is nice

 

BUT it poses a slight problem we are not supposed to accept gifts!!!!!!!! Do I take my box home and scoff!!!!or do I leave them here for the rest of the team....

 

Sorry to ramble but I'm not looking forward to my next visit.!!!!!!!!

 

Judith [/QB]

 

Judy, I showed this to Robin:

 

His comments were:

 

I have a mentor nurse who in a debrief said that she was making a point about getting close to a patient. I felt it was a harsh way to go about it!

 

There was clinical supervision, with heads coming in every 10 minutes or so.

 

As for dealing with death, he finds it far easier than dealing with incontinence, projectile vomiting and ladies in their 80's propositioning him in the most graphic ways imaginable! He tells me he still can't help being selected for the All-England blushing team!

 

What amazes me most of all is that he gets equal pleasure from the practical and academic aspects of his training.

[nursejudy]

Hi Alan

quote

I have a mentor nurse who in a debrief said that she was making a point about getting close to a patient. I felt it was a harsh way to go about it!

 

There was clinical supervision, with heads coming in every 10 minutes or so.

 

quote

 

I too think that was very harsh,some point!!!!!!!getting close to a patient might be better serverved by talking to patients and finding out how they are,are they going to cope at home etc.feeding them if needed!!!!fraid you have started me off now.....

Your son will hopefully enjoy his community placement (our students do ,I have just sent ours home early as our last patient had just died when we arrived,this was the man referred to in the earlier post.When we had returned to the car we de-briefed (called it what you will)and talked through the situation.One nurse hopefully with no bad memories of her first death.

Me I have a very large mug of coffee and come on this site for therapy.

judith

[tack4]

Its never an easy subject to deal with. I still remember the first patient that I witnessed passing away. It is a very sobering event but I always try to be positive about any role I have played in their care that has eased suffering and pain.

I have never been as angry with a fellow nurse than tne morning I came in on early shift to heara frail elderly patient had passed away (supposedly a few moments ago) whilst performing last offices we found the syringe driver and by calculation of rate it had been switched off approx. 2 and 1/2 hrs ago i.e at 05.00 and patinet had been left for day staff to deal with!!!!!

death cert. confirmed as time of death was 05.05

Complained to nurse manager but as I was "only a student" not toomuch fuss was made and there was a negative comment made at my mid-term assessment.

I can still see many of the faces of past patients I have nursed through their worst times, sure in the knowledge I did my best to give them dignity and peace.

That is what can keep nurses going when we have sh*t days

Andrew

[Guest sslatter]

Ferret1959:

My day spent mostly in bed with this ear infection.

Eh? Pardon?