‘Worth Its Weight in Gold’: The Small, Unexpected Triumphs of Nursing
“Nursing is a job that sometimes finds you investing emotionally in things you never expected to care about.”
How many times have you waxed enthusiastic at work about something that people who aren’t nurses would find weird, or even downright gross? Eyeing a patient’s Foley bag and exclaiming about how great her urine looks…praising a young man for coughing up gobs of sticky sputum….
Illustration by Pat Kinsella for AJN.
The challenge of obtaining a specimen.
In this month’s Reflections column, “Worth its Weight in Gold” (free until July 7), visiting nurse Jonathan Robb describes his efforts to obtain a urine sample for culture from an elderly woman who has minimal bladder control.
Most of us are familiar with the balancing act of obtaining a specimen under conditions that cause discomfort or embarrassment to a patient. We cajole and gently press for whatever has to be done, trying to maintain a relaxed atmosphere while hiding any urgency about completing the task that we might feel. This delicate pas de deux has the potential to be very stressful for both parties.
Robb’s sometimes comical descriptions of the contortions necessary to meet his particular challenge will ring true to nurses.
“…despite […]
Illustration by Jennifer Rodgers. All rights reserved. 