By Heather McCue, 4th year Nursing student, UVic
Caring for a patient during a recent night shift during a consolidated practice experience proved to be both trying yet valuable for learning. My experience served as a reminder of the importance of truly being patient‐centred, not just as a theory to subscribe to when drafting a clinical learning plan but when the reality of a moment is messy and challenging.
I was caring for a sweet man diagnosed with a life-limiting illness but who was not considered actively dying. During the course of our night together, he had been polite and gracious during our many interactions, but he was also finding it hard to settle. No matter what pharmaceutical or alternative comfort was provided, he remained restless and ill at ease. With each call bell, I took a deep breath before entering his room so I could arrive at his bedside in kindness, willing to hear and address his needs.
By end of shift, I was exhausted. My dear patient who slept very little throughout the long night was now up for the day, asking for the daily newspaper and a small bite to eat. It was such a simple request but one that caused me an unusual degree of irritation. I felt frustration at myself. Had I done a poor job attending to him? Or, had he simply spent a restless night, with me honouring his many requests? I felt impatience as I tried to complete my shift-end while still fielding his requests. And now he wanted a newspaper and yogurt?
My patience was worn thin and I longed to go home but my last act before leaving the unit that morning was to provide the two things he wanted in that moment.
I learned later that this man, this sweet, unsettled, man, died less than two hours after shift change that day. His death defied any PPS scale and simply followed its natural, albeit unexpected, course. I had, then, cared for him during the last night of his life. Had I allowed my impatience or frustration to influence my practice, his last few human interactions could have been negative. I cringe at the thought that any life could end on such a tone. Thankfully, when my empathy started to wane, I was able to rely on the patient-centred principles that had been taught each class of each year of nursing school. When my body was weak, because of my education, I was still able to translate “patient centered care into practice and understand its importance in daily caregiving (giving) purpose to the learning experience.”(1)
While I felt that some nursing theory and principles were redundant at times, as I near the end of fourth year, I can see how those same topics, through repetition and reflection, are instrumental in helping me remain true to my nursing care values, even when challenged. This makes a difference to how I feel about my nursing care but more importantly, to those I provide care for. Thank you for the reminder, my friend. Rest well.
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1 Hinds, L. (2013). Patient-‐centered care: A nursing priority. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 44(1), 10-‐11.
From the 2014 Spring Communiqué — Student Issue
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