We currently have an older teenage patient who has many chronic and acute issues, leading to being a very busy patient assignment. This assignment is also paired with other patients, so having this patient means you are going to have a very busy day. Because of this, many of the other nurses who have been assigned will complain about the workload, and will not request to be put back in. Beverly had this assignment when the patient was sick, and bonded with the family.
Now that the patient is not as critically ill, Beverly continues to request to be assigned to this patient when she is here. When I asked her why she continues to request this assignment, she said the family is very nice, and that she knows everyone tries to avoid this assignment. She continued that she knows that consistency of care is very important for this patient to get better, and she is taking responsibility to make sure he gets the best care that she can give, for the patient and the family. After hearing her explanation, she has made me realize I have been guilty of avoiding the difficult assignments often, even though I knew the patients needed consistent care. Beverly has motivated me to search out the patients who need consistent nursing care regardless of the craziness of the assignment.