This blog was going to be an update as to where we are but then I remembered a nurse we encountered recently and felt she needed to feature. Why? Simply because in the short interaction we had, it felt like she genuinely cared. Her interaction was light but yet heartfelt, something that seems to be missing these days. Not from all, before you yell at me, but too often.
We were queuing at our GP surgery for our flu jabs and hubby was suffering. Earlier in the week he had a day admission procedure in the cardiology department and it had wiped him out. I could tell he wanted to sit down. Just as I was about to ask for a chair for him the nurse called him in. I walked in too and smiled ‘you are getting two for the price of one.’
This nurse smiled at me and said ‘wonderful.’ After the usual questions. You know – name, rank and number she studied my husband. Spotting his tremor she asked when he had been diagnosed. January 2024 I replied. She looked at me with compassion filled eyes ‘sorry.’ Then asked my husband ‘how are you feeling?’
For once he was honest. Explaining he felt tired and then went on to explain about the procedure he had and how the course of steroids had finished which wasn’t helping. She listened, in no rush to get him jabbed and gone. She then took the time to check his pulse and talk about why he would be tired as his body was getting used to his heart being back in rhythm. This nurse who was there to administer injections was giving him so much time.
She gave him his injection then settled him in the chair. If you start to feel breathless, get palpitations or feel really unwell, you get to A&E to make sure you are ok. She watched him for a moment before turning her attention to me. Name, rank and number and she grinned at me ‘good year that.’ Husband pipes up that his year was better to which we both said he was wrong.
The nurse then looks at me and asks how I am. I smile and say fine. She raised her eyebrows as if to question if that was the truth. As she was jabbing me she spoke to husband and said the usual spiel about taking a couple of paracetamol if we felt the effects of the injection. Turning her attention to me she says and you can have a nap if you need to.
Helping husband up she checked he was ok before smiling and wishing us both well. That nurse wasn’t churning us out the door to keep the flow of patients steady. It felt like she genuinely cared that my husband was ok, if he needed a few more moments before he moved on she wouldn’t have cared. There needs to be more of that. Time constraints shouldn’t be more important that patient care and interaction.
Thankfully there wasn’t any side effects for either of us, apart from the usual slight ache to the arm. I am also pleased to report that at the time of writing this the procedure on his heart is still a success proving that maybe the third time is the charm.
I don’t know the name of that nurse but she made both of us feel heard and seen. With all the appointments we have had the last few years that is a rare thing but it was very welcome. I do hope our paths cross again. I doubt she will see this but thank you for actually seeing my husband, not just arm to stab. It meant a lot. Ex