Nellie is a seasoned nurse. It's quite difficult to summarize in a few words what kind of a nurse Nellie is to her patients because of her various noble attributes as a bedside care provider. I have known Nellie for years, personally and professionally. She has dedicated over 30 years of her life to nursing and counting. Nellie is a silent worker but able to accomplish big tasks for her patients. She is well-adored and respected by her peers and co-workers in every department she works in. She practices a patient-centered approach with loving-kindness, compassion, and sees to it that her patient's basic needs are met. She puts safety first to all her nursing actions.
Nellie and I always share our patient stories. She has worked in Medical-Surgical Units, in Telemetry, and in ICU. Each unit has different patient individualities and needs that could be challenging to any clinical provider. Nellie sees her patient as a unique, none like any other.
One example of a patient-centered approach was when she was working in ICU one night. One of her patients was an elderly man in his 70's, who she observed to be anxious, restless and confused, to the point of pulling his IV tubes and monitor leads. After examining the patient thoroughly, her clinical assessment showed that the patient was not hemodynamically compromised, so with the help of her colleague, the patient was repositioned to comfort. Nellie sat beside him, trying to calm him down by talking to the patient while massaging his feet. Nellie could have easily given the ordered sedative to this patient, but she chose to use therapeutic touch and clinical judgment. She found out that the family never came to visit the patient, so Nellie contacted the family to make them aware of the patient's status.
At present, Nellie is working at the Same Day Surgery unit where patients come in ambulatory, able to express their needs but anxious because of their planned procedure. This is where the nurse encourages the patients to express their negative thoughts about the procedure that they will undergo. The point during their hospital stay where her patients need a loving and trusting-caring relationship.