This tiny little unit makes such a huge difference in the lives of so many patients and their families. I am so proud to be working alongside these incredible nurses.
Sometimes harsh words have deep meanings...
M is a 7-year-old boy who comes to SSU for his weekly infusions. At the time we first met M and his father, we were greeted by a very angry man who said that our hospital was a breeding ground for sheep. Wait in admitting, to our waiting room, to following the rules, etc. Security, at times, had to come to escort him and his son to the Short Stay Unit because he would be so angry with the admitting staff that he would tell the other patients waiting that they were sheep and that were followers. Through many talks and discussions utilizing our resources such as the nursing supervisor and management, we are now at a point where we all see eye-to-eye. Dad trusts us with the care of his son, he laughs with us, he trusts our opinion, and he values our judgment. Mark taught us a valuable lesson, however, that the wait can make a patient feel like just a number waiting for your turn at the DMV window. Our patients are not sheep and we try our best to not make them feel like they are. Each patient who walks in is greeted, attended to, and acknowledged, and not put to the back of the line no matter how busy we are.
Make it work moments are sometimes the best moments...
E is a 17-year-old girl who comes to the SSU for IVIG treatments. She has Hashimoto's Encephalopathy and speaks with incomprehensible words and is not aware of herself and her own abilities. When mom arrives at the hospital, the nursing staff meets mom, and the care team encourages E, the patient, to follow us to the hospital. She gets confused and scared, and at times, it can be very difficult for us to get her into the Short Stay Unit, let alone keep her there for her infusions. Her mom is wonderful and tries her best to help us with E so that we can give her the treatment she needs.
One day, E was having a really hard day and we had a hard time getting her into the unit. With the nursing staff distracting her, we were able to get E into the unit and into her room. Since she has a history of being a difficult IV start, we called in the Vascular Team. We tried our best to have E lie on her bed; we tried TV, music encouragement, and nothing was working. After 20 minutes of trying everything we could, we needed another plan. E was on the floor and we had to "make it work", so that is what we did! Instead of bringing E into our world, we brought our world to her. She wanted to be on the floor, so we arranged the room so that we could safely start her IV while she sat on the floor. We sang her favorite songs, we spoke to her and reminded her of who we were, and that we were so happy to see her. Then she stuck out her arm, that's right, she knew in her head that it was time for the IV, and her only request was that we do it while she was sitting on the floor, so that is what we did. We sang with her, and Vascular started her IV. E didn't pull her arm back and we safely were able to secure a line in her arm. Immediately after the IV was taped and inserted, E let out a giggle and hopped onto the bed. She just wanted to sit on the floor - she couldn't say it, but she was showing us that's what she needed. As we walked out of the room we all high-fived each other and could not believe how amazing that went. Sometimes "make it work" moments are the best moments!
We could go on and on about so many more moments that have happened in the SSU, but it just takes for you to come and hang out with us each day. We have a wonderful group of nurses who care so much about the care that we provide. I came from an inpatient unit fearing that I would lose my skills and edge, but what I have gained is a deeper understanding of the healthcare continuum and how nursing does not stop the moment you hang a med and document it. The relationships that are formed are what mean the most; those are real victories. From the relationship, our staff has with each other, to the ones we share with all our ancillary staff, to providers, and most importantly, with our patients, those are the true victories. We are Short Stay, a tiny unit made up of many special moments.