I graduated from nursing school in 2013. I started working as a nurse a few months after passing NCLEX. I have been a nurse over two years in ICU’s step down called SCU. I have learned a lot in nursing, most of the good and the bad. However, a few memorable moments includes nursing shortage and death and dying. Nursing shortage causes lack of adequate patient’s care and undesired outcome. On the other hand, I have also experienced care for an old patient at her end of life. I struggled emotionally because it was difficult to deal with the physical loss.
Key words: new nurse, nursing experience, death and dying, nursing shortage.
My Journey as a Nurse and Unforgettable Experiences I graduated from Mohawk Valley Community College with …show more content…
I would not know what to do and how to do it. Sadly, death is unavoidable outcome that is bounds to happen (Sinclair, 2011). I was caring for an active dying patient during her admission and her end of life. An old lady with chronic COPD that required a large amount of oxygen needs. The patient’s code status was DNR/DNI. She was transferred from home to my unit at 2200 and started to deteriorate at 0200. I remembered her oxygen consumption increased from 8 to 40 litters. The doctor was at her bedside and stated “she won’t make it until morning”. I called the daughter to update about her mother condition and recommended her to come say goodbye. I sat with the patient and held her hand and hell her to hold-on because her family was coming. Fortunately, the family arrived just in time to say their last good bye. I said “Would you like me to bring someone to say prayers and would you like a bible?” Our hospice nurse was called to provide needed service to the family. The patient died shortly after hospice nurse arrival but she was never left alone. Finally, I recognized that by initiating the call for prayer, it was my way of accepting the fact that death will sometime win. It was an honor to care for a patient and family during the hardest time in their
Key words: new nurse, nursing experience, death and dying, nursing shortage.
My Journey as a Nurse and Unforgettable Experiences I graduated from Mohawk Valley Community College with …show more content…
I would not know what to do and how to do it. Sadly, death is unavoidable outcome that is bounds to happen (Sinclair, 2011). I was caring for an active dying patient during her admission and her end of life. An old lady with chronic COPD that required a large amount of oxygen needs. The patient’s code status was DNR/DNI. She was transferred from home to my unit at 2200 and started to deteriorate at 0200. I remembered her oxygen consumption increased from 8 to 40 litters. The doctor was at her bedside and stated “she won’t make it until morning”. I called the daughter to update about her mother condition and recommended her to come say goodbye. I sat with the patient and held her hand and hell her to hold-on because her family was coming. Fortunately, the family arrived just in time to say their last good bye. I said “Would you like me to bring someone to say prayers and would you like a bible?” Our hospice nurse was called to provide needed service to the family. The patient died shortly after hospice nurse arrival but she was never left alone. Finally, I recognized that by initiating the call for prayer, it was my way of accepting the fact that death will sometime win. It was an honor to care for a patient and family during the hardest time in their