A Patient's Perspective As nurses, sometimes we forget what it is like to not have a routine. As a nurse, we run from room to room, doing routine procedures, and doing what is in the best interest for the care of our patients. This obviously works, as nurses take care of a multitude of patients every year, and do a good job. On occasion, do you ever wish you could see things from the eyes of a patient? How do they feel, how do they see the nurses? Patient A Patient A was admitted at 11:45 pm after spending 6 hours in the emergency department. She had a severe headache, and was dizzy, unable to walk without holding something to maintain her balance. At 53 years of age, doctors wanted to be sure she had not suffered from a stroke. Patient A had been under the weather with a cold, and she was pretty sure her conditions were from that, however, her husband and doctors wanted to rule out something more serious. Patient A was rolled into her room, and her stay began. Related:
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Patient A describes her stay- I was exhausted, all of those hours in the ER, pain meds, and still in pain, I just wanted to sleep. I got into the room around midnight, and was in bed about 10 minutes when my nurse came to do an intake. 35 minutes later my nurse finished, and I laid down to go to sleep. I just drifted off, and in come a lab technician to draw blood. A half of an hour later I was just about asleep, when my nurse came to check my vital signs. As she was leaving the room, she was very kind, asking if she could get me anything. I was tired, grumpy, and in pain, so I answered, yes, sleep. An hour later, my IV bag was empty and the beeping began. That was taken care of, but 30 minutes later it was time for another vitals check. My whole night went on like this. Of course I understand they have to do their job, and everyone was super nice, so I could not complain on that note, but I am exhausted. Morning came pretty early, and I felt better, still slightly dizzy; however I expected to be released. A doctor came by and told me I needed an MRI. I’ve never been sick much, and I was pretty sure I did not want an MRI. I questioned the doctor, what is an MRI anyway. I was sorry I asked, I got a very lengthy technical explanation, and I still had no idea was I was in for. Thankfully, my nurse came in right after the doctor. I asked her about the MRI, and she explained it all to me in terms I could understand. All turned out well, no abnormalities on the MRI, and I