August 2024
Bradley
McKnight
,
RN
Tower 8 - Orthopedic
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center
Vancouver
,
WA
United States
Bradley later exhibited his compassion and intuitive recognition of the amount of pain I was in by quickly responding to my plea for help when the pain became unbearable.
Starting with Bradley, as one of the first nurses to care for me, he immediately made a supportive connection with me. I noted to him that he reminded me of my son-in-law, which made him smile. Bradley recognized my need for someone to hold on to and offered his arm for me to grasp as the jostling of IV insertion and injection of a nerve block caused me anxiety with the potential of pain at any moment. He recognized that he could best help the Anesthesiologist during this procedure by providing me a focus and emotional support. When one of the doctors asked me at some point if I had an advance directive, Bradley heard me ask in response, “Will I be able to eat ice cream and read a book, watch a move or play, listen to a book on tape after you revive me?” for which the response was “yes” I said, “then by all means, you have permission to revive me.” Later, Bradley and his shadow nursing student intern brought me ice cream from the hospital cafeteria, which made me laugh.
Bradley later exhibited his compassion and intuitive recognition of the amount of pain I was in by quickly responding to my plea for help when the pain became unbearable. He sought and received permission to administer pain relief intravenously. He asked for my permission to provide the medicine, but with my level 10 pain-filled mind, I couldn’t understand his question. He quickly restated it in layman’s terms with, “Do you want the medicine to take effect immediately or in 30 to 45 minutes?” (meaning taken orally). I of course said “immediately!”
Bradley set the standard for the level of compassionate care that I expected I would continue to receive, but that didn’t always happen as my stay lengthened. I had frequent recurrences of pain as medications wore off or during jostling for x-rays, etc., that caused my muscles to seize up. Seeing how well Bradley worked with physicians, other nurses, and other members of the medical team, and as a gifted mentor to his intern, he built in me a level of trust that my needs would be met during this time when I was so vulnerable.
Bradley later exhibited his compassion and intuitive recognition of the amount of pain I was in by quickly responding to my plea for help when the pain became unbearable. He sought and received permission to administer pain relief intravenously. He asked for my permission to provide the medicine, but with my level 10 pain-filled mind, I couldn’t understand his question. He quickly restated it in layman’s terms with, “Do you want the medicine to take effect immediately or in 30 to 45 minutes?” (meaning taken orally). I of course said “immediately!”
Bradley set the standard for the level of compassionate care that I expected I would continue to receive, but that didn’t always happen as my stay lengthened. I had frequent recurrences of pain as medications wore off or during jostling for x-rays, etc., that caused my muscles to seize up. Seeing how well Bradley worked with physicians, other nurses, and other members of the medical team, and as a gifted mentor to his intern, he built in me a level of trust that my needs would be met during this time when I was so vulnerable.