January 2024
Liliana
Turlea
,
BSN, RN
6 South
Wellstar Cobb Hospital
Austell
United States
Liliana had taken care of this patient for a few days, and on the day of his discharge (her off day), she came to the unit with a new backpack, new shoes, a new jacket, new pants, and a top.
Oftentimes, we have spontaneous acts of genuine kindness and compassion for our fellow human beings. A homeless patient with a cancer diagnosis has been treated on the unit for his symptoms of nausea and new onset seizure. He was scheduled for discharge, and his disposition was to return to his tent in the park. Liliana had taken care of this patient for a few days, and on the day of his discharge (her off day), she came to the unit with a new backpack, new shoes, a new jacket, new pants, and a top. I asked her why she did this, and she stated it was because he needed it: "I did not feel comfortable knowing that he would be out in the cold in his tent." This simple act of kindness is what nursing is about - it’s making a compassionate connection with the people we serve. Liliana met this patient’s needs at his most vulnerable time.