November 2023
Andy M
Tran
,
RN
Nursing G20
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston
,
TX
United States

 

 

 

Andy held her hand and validated her feelings despite the patient not being able to precisely pinpoint why she was upset. He listened to what she had to say, which made her feel seen as a person.
Andy had a leukemia patient from out of state and was on protective environment. She did not have many visitors besides her husband, who had to juggle between work back in their home state and flying to visit her. One particular day, she was having a rough day. She was clearly emotional and upset, crying while Andy was conducting his nursing assessments. Andy stopped what he was doing, and in a gentle and welcoming voice, he asked, "What's wrong?" She did not know why she was crying, but she did voice how emotional her cancer journey has been for her. In this moment, Andy held her hand and validated her feelings despite the patient not being able to precisely pinpoint why she was upset. He listened to what she had to say, which made her feel seen as a person. As I saw Andy attentively listening to her talking to him about her life, he was also seen wiping tears from her face. He then pivoted the conversation to things that she could look forward to in the future. Her husband was flying into town in a couple of days. She was excited about that. She told him how she loved black and white movies and recommended that he watch Casablanca. She also told him about her Polish background, how to say a few phrases in Polish, and talked about her children. He made sure that she was feeling better before leaving her and told her that if she had any questions or concerns or just wanted to talk to someone, she could give him a call. The next time I saw this patient, she told me that she actually had Andy again as her nurse, and during his day off, he actually watched Casablanca! She told me how great of a nurse Andy is. He is kind, gentle, and a great listener. He embodies the spirit of nursing.