Often, it is the nurses who hold the hands of the patient who is extremely ill in critical care or dying. It is the nurses left to comfort the grieving families after the devastating loss of a loved one.
PUBLISHED April 12, 2018
Jane has earned three advanced degrees and had several fulfilling careers as a librarian, rehabilitation counselor and college teacher. Presently she does freelance writing. Her articles include the subjects of hearing loss and deafness, service dogs and struggling with cancer. She has been a cancer survivor since 2010.
She has myelodysplastic syndrome, which is rare, and would love to communicate with others who have MDS.
She has myelodysplastic syndrome, which is rare, and would love to communicate with others who have MDS.
I have been sick most of my life with various illnesses due to an immune disorder. Throughout my hospitalizations and office visits, I have gained the utmost respect for nurses. It is the nurses who take actual care of the patients in most cases and are the conduit to the doctors. It is the nurses who see the patient everyday in the hospital and report changes to the physicians. Often, it is the nurses who hold the hands of the patient who is extremely ill in critical care or dying. It is the nurses left to comfort the grieving families after the devastating loss of a loved one.
I also taught at a community college for 10 years and realized how difficult the curriculum and clinical training is for a nurse. Only the best and the brightest make it through.
On my lengthy cancer journey of eight years, I have been touched and amazed by the nurses on my journey. When I switched from an oral chemo to an invasive one, I was really frightened. What would these 10 weekly shots do to my already weakened immune system? How would I react? My oncologist hadn’t spent a lot of time explaining the side effects. She didn’t need to. A wonderful nurse and another great person responsible for preparing the solution in the laboratory sat down and went through everything with me. They gave me literature to read in layman’s terms that I understood. They assured me that someone would always be available to answer questions. They cautioned me if there was a fever over a certain range to call the office. They reassured me every step of the way.
I also taught at a community college for 10 years and realized how difficult the curriculum and clinical training is for a nurse. Only the best and the brightest make it through.
On my lengthy cancer journey of eight years, I have been touched and amazed by the nurses on my journey. When I switched from an oral chemo to an invasive one, I was really frightened. What would these 10 weekly shots do to my already weakened immune system? How would I react? My oncologist hadn’t spent a lot of time explaining the side effects. She didn’t need to. A wonderful nurse and another great person responsible for preparing the solution in the laboratory sat down and went through everything with me. They gave me literature to read in layman’s terms that I understood. They assured me that someone would always be available to answer questions. They cautioned me if there was a fever over a certain range to call the office. They reassured me every step of the way.
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