On Tuesday, Melissa (Missi) was assigned to assist Dr. R. One of his patients that day was a 49-year-old female who had cerebral palsy and was mentally handicapped. The circulating nurse and anesthesia provider brought the patient to the Operating Room where Missi had been assisting the scrub nurse to set up the sterile field. It immediately became clear to everyone in the room that the patient was absolutely terrified and had little understanding of what was happening. As the OR team attempted to transfer her to the operating table, she began to scream loudly and repeatedly. She was so agitated that other staff in the department heard her and came to the room to see if everything was okay. Upon realizing the patient's stress, Missi immediately came to the patient's side, held her hand, and continually reassured her. Missi's soothing and calm voice constantly reassured the patient that she was there for her and that everything was going to be okay. As she held the patient's hand, she assured her multiple times that she would not let anyone hurt her and that she would stay right there with her. I wish I could find the words to describe the transformation that took place. The patient, who had been terrified and screaming, became calm when she locked eyes with Missi. She may not have understood anything that was happening, but she understood the sincerity and compassion that she saw in Missi during that moment. As a bystander to that moment, it brought tears to my eyes to witness the level of trust that the patient immediately had in Missi. She looked at her as if she had been drowning and Missi was the life raft that had been thrown to her for salvation.
As nurses in the Operating Room, we have minimal interaction with our patients and their families. Most of our care is given to patients who will barely remember us and will never know what care we gave them. Operating Room staff continually perform compassionate and often heroic deeds that the rest of the healthcare team are unaware of. This patient's family will likely never know how Missi was there for their loved one during a time of great distress. They will never know the depth of compassion that was witnessed by those of us who were present. However, this interaction was so beautiful and touching that I feel it needs to be recognized by a wider audience than those that were there to witness it. Missi truly exemplified everything that it means to be a nurse and I am proud to work alongside her.