Jordan Johnson
July 2015
Jordan
Johnson
,
BSN, RN
ICU
NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
Jonesboro
,
AR
United States
What do you think about when you think of a nurse? You probably think of an individual who is educated and trained to care for sick patients. But in reality a nurse is so much more. When I think of a nurse I think of Jordan.
A dear friend of mine was admitted to the hospital about a month ago. He came in with blocked arteries. The physician tried to do a stint but it was not possible. During his stay Jordan was one of his nurses. My friend is an older gentleman and one that is not easy to deal with. It didn't faze Jordan at all. She would tease him, talk to him and made him feel like he was her only patient. While Jordan is an ICU nurse, she agreed to work on 3 East at this time due to a staffing shortage. After my friend was discharged he talked about Jordan and what a good nurse she was for days and weeks later.
My friend returned to the ICU last week. Little did we know but this would be his last visit to the ICU. He had a bad heart, failing kidneys and his lungs were full of fluid. As fate would have it, Jordan was his nurse again. She was so gentle and compassionate. The way she dealt with him and the way she responded to him it was easy to see that Jordan was born to be a nurse. Unfortunately, my friend didn't make it. He died in the ICU.
When you think about a nurse you think about taking care of sick patients. But what you rarely think about are those times where the nurse is left to deal with the family who has just lost someone they love. This is an impossible situation. What do you do? What do you say? What Jordan did is something we will never forget. She handled the situation with grace, poise and empathy.
Imagine if you will an ICU bay with a dying patient in the bed. His wife by his side. His son and daughter on the other. Two of his dearest friends close by. The patient was fading fast, much faster than any of the doctors anticipated. Jordan knows the end is near and the family is about to have to deal with a major loss. The family and friends know it too and they stand their helpless as hope is fading fast knowing their family member is dying and there is nothing they can do to stop it. Suddenly the patient is gone. His heart stopped. The doctor turned to the family and pronounced him dead at 6:24 PM. The son lost it and started crying uncontrollably. He not only lost his dad, he lost one of his closest friends. His wife is in shock and is trying to hold it together. She can't believe the man she has been married to for the last 43 years and the man she has known since she was 5 years old is gone. They grew up in a small Oklahoma town and met in the first grade, became high school sweethearts and married shortly after graduation. She can't remember a part of her life without him in it and he's gone. The daughter is crying and trying to comprehend what happened. The two family friends can feel their hearts breaking. They've know this man since they were 13. He was their high school basketball coach who made a major impact on their lives and they have remained close friends after high school.
It was at this moment that I began to see how special and awesome Jordan really is. She helped me understand the strength, the compassion and the heart it takes to really be a nurse. After the patient passed away it would have been so easy for Jordan to excuse herself like others would and leave the family alone to say goodbye to their loved one. But that's not what she did. Instead she took time to show the family she shared their pain. My best friend, the patient's son, was crying and I had no idea how to help him. I didn't know what to do. And I wanted to comfort him so bad, but just didn't know how. I'm so thankful that Jordan was there and that she cared. And I'm so grateful that she took the time to comfort the family. She walked into the room and walked up to my friend, looked him in the eye and told him how sorry she was for his loss and told him if there was anything she could do to let her know. Then she reached up and put her arms around him and gave him a big hug. She then walked over to the wife and did the same thing. It was exactly what they needed. In their moment of despair, in one of the darkest moments of their life Jordan took the time to let them know that they were going to be okay. She took the time to let them know someone cared. In the awkward silence that surrounded the room following the death, Jordan helped remove it with love. I can't tell you how much that meant to the family.
Days later we were talking and you know what they remembered about their hospital visit? It wasn't the fancy building or the comfortable room and it wasn't the state of the art equipment. It was Jordan. They must have told me a million times how awesome she is. They couldn't believe how she reacted to the passing of their husband/father. They said her compassion, her gentle nature, her genuine warmth and her deep sincerity is what set her apart. They will never forget what she did for them. Neither will I.
...
When I think about a nurse I think about Jordan. She defines what it means to be a nurse. Baptist is blessed to have her and even more so our patients are blessed to have her.
http://www.nursetogether.com/nurse-defines-what-it-truly-means-be-profession
A dear friend of mine was admitted to the hospital about a month ago. He came in with blocked arteries. The physician tried to do a stint but it was not possible. During his stay Jordan was one of his nurses. My friend is an older gentleman and one that is not easy to deal with. It didn't faze Jordan at all. She would tease him, talk to him and made him feel like he was her only patient. While Jordan is an ICU nurse, she agreed to work on 3 East at this time due to a staffing shortage. After my friend was discharged he talked about Jordan and what a good nurse she was for days and weeks later.
My friend returned to the ICU last week. Little did we know but this would be his last visit to the ICU. He had a bad heart, failing kidneys and his lungs were full of fluid. As fate would have it, Jordan was his nurse again. She was so gentle and compassionate. The way she dealt with him and the way she responded to him it was easy to see that Jordan was born to be a nurse. Unfortunately, my friend didn't make it. He died in the ICU.
When you think about a nurse you think about taking care of sick patients. But what you rarely think about are those times where the nurse is left to deal with the family who has just lost someone they love. This is an impossible situation. What do you do? What do you say? What Jordan did is something we will never forget. She handled the situation with grace, poise and empathy.
Imagine if you will an ICU bay with a dying patient in the bed. His wife by his side. His son and daughter on the other. Two of his dearest friends close by. The patient was fading fast, much faster than any of the doctors anticipated. Jordan knows the end is near and the family is about to have to deal with a major loss. The family and friends know it too and they stand their helpless as hope is fading fast knowing their family member is dying and there is nothing they can do to stop it. Suddenly the patient is gone. His heart stopped. The doctor turned to the family and pronounced him dead at 6:24 PM. The son lost it and started crying uncontrollably. He not only lost his dad, he lost one of his closest friends. His wife is in shock and is trying to hold it together. She can't believe the man she has been married to for the last 43 years and the man she has known since she was 5 years old is gone. They grew up in a small Oklahoma town and met in the first grade, became high school sweethearts and married shortly after graduation. She can't remember a part of her life without him in it and he's gone. The daughter is crying and trying to comprehend what happened. The two family friends can feel their hearts breaking. They've know this man since they were 13. He was their high school basketball coach who made a major impact on their lives and they have remained close friends after high school.
It was at this moment that I began to see how special and awesome Jordan really is. She helped me understand the strength, the compassion and the heart it takes to really be a nurse. After the patient passed away it would have been so easy for Jordan to excuse herself like others would and leave the family alone to say goodbye to their loved one. But that's not what she did. Instead she took time to show the family she shared their pain. My best friend, the patient's son, was crying and I had no idea how to help him. I didn't know what to do. And I wanted to comfort him so bad, but just didn't know how. I'm so thankful that Jordan was there and that she cared. And I'm so grateful that she took the time to comfort the family. She walked into the room and walked up to my friend, looked him in the eye and told him how sorry she was for his loss and told him if there was anything she could do to let her know. Then she reached up and put her arms around him and gave him a big hug. She then walked over to the wife and did the same thing. It was exactly what they needed. In their moment of despair, in one of the darkest moments of their life Jordan took the time to let them know that they were going to be okay. She took the time to let them know someone cared. In the awkward silence that surrounded the room following the death, Jordan helped remove it with love. I can't tell you how much that meant to the family.
Days later we were talking and you know what they remembered about their hospital visit? It wasn't the fancy building or the comfortable room and it wasn't the state of the art equipment. It was Jordan. They must have told me a million times how awesome she is. They couldn't believe how she reacted to the passing of their husband/father. They said her compassion, her gentle nature, her genuine warmth and her deep sincerity is what set her apart. They will never forget what she did for them. Neither will I.
...
When I think about a nurse I think about Jordan. She defines what it means to be a nurse. Baptist is blessed to have her and even more so our patients are blessed to have her.
http://www.nursetogether.com/nurse-defines-what-it-truly-means-be-profession