Megan James
August 2022
Megan
James
,
RN
PCU
Haywood Regional Medical Center
Clyde
,
NC
United States
He softly sobbed as he described the beauty of the treetops swaying in the wind. He was so genuinely thankful...it was a very special moment.
The other day, while performing patient rounds, I had a patient share a very heartfelt experience with me. The patient was a man who, according to what he told me, as a result of his terminal cancer diagnosis, had about 5 months left to live. The man seemed to be very kind, however, he was also alone, with no family or friends to be with him during this difficult time of his life.
During one of our conversations, the man began to share with me how good a nurse named Megan had been to him. Apparently, at some point during his stay with us, Megan took him outside for a few minutes, in his wheelchair, and this had a profound effect on him. The patient began to weep, as he told me how much it meant to him to be able to go outside, even for what was just a few minutes. He softly sobbed as he described the beauty of the treetops swaying in the wind. He was so genuinely thankful...it was a very special moment.
As I reflected on this encounter, I thought to myself that this was an instance of not merely treating the patient's medical symptoms, but of treating the person, as a whole, which is a beautiful thing. I truly feel that Megan James went far above and beyond her normal duties for this patient. Taking him out to see the trees surely had a very powerful, positive impact on him. I hope that this act of kindness, by Megan, catches wind and spreads around our hospital. I am sure that, with as many patients as Megan must see on any given day, week in and week out, it could become easy to just treat the patient's symptoms and go then go home; however, her kindness towards a patient, in his final days, shows that Megan not only performs the required duties of her job, but she also sees our patients for the people who they are outside our hospital, and she treats them with a level of kindness and respect that any one of us would hope to receive ourselves.
***
Megan was my checkout nurse, she was so thorough, helpful, and nice. I have never been somewhere where everyone was so nice, considering, the medical field can be very stressful.
During one of our conversations, the man began to share with me how good a nurse named Megan had been to him. Apparently, at some point during his stay with us, Megan took him outside for a few minutes, in his wheelchair, and this had a profound effect on him. The patient began to weep, as he told me how much it meant to him to be able to go outside, even for what was just a few minutes. He softly sobbed as he described the beauty of the treetops swaying in the wind. He was so genuinely thankful...it was a very special moment.
As I reflected on this encounter, I thought to myself that this was an instance of not merely treating the patient's medical symptoms, but of treating the person, as a whole, which is a beautiful thing. I truly feel that Megan James went far above and beyond her normal duties for this patient. Taking him out to see the trees surely had a very powerful, positive impact on him. I hope that this act of kindness, by Megan, catches wind and spreads around our hospital. I am sure that, with as many patients as Megan must see on any given day, week in and week out, it could become easy to just treat the patient's symptoms and go then go home; however, her kindness towards a patient, in his final days, shows that Megan not only performs the required duties of her job, but she also sees our patients for the people who they are outside our hospital, and she treats them with a level of kindness and respect that any one of us would hope to receive ourselves.
***
Megan was my checkout nurse, she was so thorough, helpful, and nice. I have never been somewhere where everyone was so nice, considering, the medical field can be very stressful.