My patients have taught me why empathy is an asset

My shift began at 8:00 a.m., and after I arrived, it was clear that the patient had little or no time left. I used to be young and inexperienced, so I simply made the patient as comfortable as possible. She died at 10:00 a.m.

The family was devastated. I had never been in this example before, so I didn’t know what to say, but I felt their pain. I cried with them. We all sat there and sobbed as more relations got here to mourn. I went home that day and thought hard about my decision to grow to be a nurse.

Do I actually have what it takes?

Per week before classes began, I informed my professor that I used to be going to withdraw from the nursing program and needed her to sign my withdrawal. She asked me why, so I told her in regards to the home care patient who died. I began crying and said I felt too emotional to be an excellent nurse.

My professor checked out me, stopped, then laughed and said, “You cried. You’ll make a great nurse. Now go sit down and get ready for class.”

I didn’t know what she meant at that time, but I stayed in this system. After graduating, I worked in medical/oncology and moved across the hospital. I used to be gaining a variety of nursing experience, but I still felt like something was missing. Then I got a call from the nurse administrator on the psychiatric hospital where I used to be interning in nursing school. She offered me a job, but I turned it down, saying I wasn’t excited about psychiatry.

She said they were in desperate need of nurses and offered me a signing bonus and a 6 month contract. I took the offer considering the 6 months would fly by and I might move on to something else. I ended up staying at that job for over 18 years! That’s when I spotted why my nursing school professor said I could not quit. I had a natural sense of empathy that I desperately needed.

My empathy grew while working as a psychiatrist, and I learned a lot from my patients about communication, coping skills, and what it really means to be patient-centered.

Ask the appropriate questions

Some time back I used to be assigned to manage medication in a research facility. A patient was awaiting a court hearing for “medication against objection” for refusing to take medication for weeks. I used to be told to not try to interact him in conversation because he was used to being alone. The patient was homeless and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia for a long time. When I went into his room I offered him medication, but he didn’t respond. As he hid under the covers I told him I’d keep him company, pulled up a chair, and began charting.

After some time, he began to reply my questions. It turned out that he was afraid to go to court. I told him that he wouldn’t need to go to court if he took the medication. When I asked him why he refused to take the medication, he said that he desired to take a vitamin together with it. We agreed that he would take the medication with the vitamin.

I asked him why he didn’t just tell the staff that every one he wanted was a vitamin included in his regimen. “Nobody asked me,” he said.

When I told the opposite staff members within the courtroom about his easy request, they were shocked but grateful. After all, the vitamin was a straightforward solution and fewer stressful than going to court.

I reciprocate my empathy

Another patient who was depressed and about to undergo cancer treatment taught me how my words could have an effect. I used to be working while on vacation after I found a patient crying in his room because he was not home along with his wife and kids. We sat and talked for some time and after much encouragement I walked him to the phone and sat with him while he called his family. He was very grateful.

After he hung up, he insisted that I call my family in regards to the holidays. He reciprocated my empathy. How could I say no? I agreed to call my parents, but provided that he sat down with me. The patient died later that month. I used to be sad but grateful that he was capable of have a heart-to-heart along with his family before he died.

Today, I’m a university professor, board certified as a psychiatric and mental health nurse specialist, and have over three a long time of experience. I share my stories with students so that they can understand that nursing—like life—is a journey. Sometimes we don’t know where we’re going until we get there. Developing our skills helps us along the way in which. I also teach my students that trusting our mentors, understanding empathy, and being open to latest possibilities give us a greater likelihood at success.