This was my first time being an inpatient in a hospital. I was afraid because my blood pressure was significantly off the charts. After spending a few hours here, my blood pressure was still remarkably high which led to my growing anxieties. I then met my night nurse, Jenn. She was taking my blood pressure and after another high reading, I exclaimed that my blood pressure was not my only worry. She assured me that we were going to get my blood pressure down safely and then asked what else was making me anxious. At that moment, she became more than just my nurse she became my confidant. I explained a few things to her including a recent breast cancer diagnosis for my Mom and the uncertainty of the severity of what this all meant. She became the fourth person between my mother, my aunt, and I to know of the diagnosis. She empathized with me and showed genuine concern not only for my mother but also for how these things were affecting me mentally and physically which was affecting my blood pressure. Our conversation may have been short but it was very impactful.
There was a decrease in my blood pressure the next time it was read which meant we took a step in the right direction. Throughout the rest of her shift, she continued to smile every time she entered to administer medication or just to check to see how I was doing. She even cracked a few jokes with me. By morning, my blood pressure was considerably lower and we hi-fived to that because it was definitely a team effort.
Nurses wear many hats in their line of work because in that one shift, Jenny was my nurse, my confidant, my comedian, and a friend. I am very grateful for her and I consider myself very lucky to have met such a wonderful nurse.