It takes love more then meds.

I have successfully completed my third night shift at my new job at Waterman Hospital. It was been exiting, tiring, inspiring and disheartening.
The exiting part is I know God had made a place for me at this time and this place. It was tiring because I had to rearrange my sleep schedule to accommodate the night shift and each shift was 12 hours.
I was inspired to see the human spirit fight back after it was been so beaten done with sickness.
But most of all I was disheartened. I was disheartened by the fact that our medical system has so drastically failed the weakest members of our society. I knew that our medical system has lost sight of what is truly important. But nothing could prepare for what I have seen in the hospital. I am well aware that we have come so wonderfully far with medical treatments, medications and such. But with that advance in science we have missed such an important part of healthcare…the humanistic part. You might argue with me and say we have the number one health care system in the world. Which I might partially agree with. But the most important side of what use to make our system great was the people who served. Nurses and techs. were the people who CARED for our ill and dieing. They would assist or take over all the basic needs. They were also there to assist the doctor when he needed assistance and be there eyes and ears when they weren’t there.
Now nurses have had to passed their job to the techs. and now theiy have to be what I consider a fill in doctor, drug pusher and chart writer. To me this is sad because most nurse have gone into there field not for the money but for the passion of taking “care “ of people in their neediest times. I think our medical system has become so hungry for money and so blind of the truth we are loosing our way. We are all human, we have needs, wants and desires, we also need to be taught what it means to be truly healthy. Because when we don’t get thoughts basic need meet our body and soul die.

Let me tell you a short version of what happened to me two shift ago.
It was 2 am when the orders came in that a women in her late 70’s was going to be transferred to our unit from the emergency room. Her tentative diagnosis was chest pain (angina), anxiety, and failure to thrive. It also added that she needed a physiological evaluation because of her anxiety, OCD and possible schizophrenia. When I was given the orders from the nurse all he could do is sigh and say “great another crazy, lets get the meds. ready.” When she arrived in our unit I went to her room to perform my duties. ( vitals, a questioner, made her failure with her room, policies ext. ) When I began to leave she yelled out “please don’t leave me.” So I turned around and went back into her room. When I went in the room I stood next to her bed and I looked into her eye and smiled. I asked her if she was scared. She answered back “yes“, I then asked her, “why “.
She told me a short story about what she was afraid of. Knowing now what was making her afraid I was able to meet her needs better and show her compasion. After being with her for about 15 min, it was time for me to make my rounds again so I told her I would be back soon to check on her. When I was away my soul was screaming to go back to her and sit with her. So after my rounds I went in and sat with her. When sitting with her I saw that the charge nurse had left a bible on her lap by the patients request. So, I held her hand and stared into her eye as I felt the Lord leading me. I said, ******, I want you to know no matter what is happening and what will happen God is always there for you. She nodded and agreed and stated to cry. She finally was able to get a few words out…” child you are so beautiful.” As I thanked her I took my hand and touch her face and said, “the Lord wants you to know that in troubled time you need to call to him and he will rescue you.” She continued to cry when the nurse barged in to talk to her about her meds. She immediately become anxious and scared again. She looked at me with eyes of desperation. As the nurse started to talk he noticed that we having a moment and he could use that to get what he need done. So he asked me to help him push ***** to take these sleeping pills and anxiety meds. So with the order I proceeded to gently persuade her to take the meds. (which I thought was silly and wrong ) So she ends up taking the meds.. After taking the meds .she told me she needed to go to the restroom. So I suggested a bed pan since she was dizzy from the meds. She tried but was to embarrassed and to uncomfortable. I then notified the nurse and he told me then we needed to put in a catheter. I told him that I thought that I could get her up safely to use the restroom. With the ultimatum of 15 min or he was going to get a catheter, I rushed to her room. I worked with her as lovingly as possible to get her to the restroom. and as a team she made it there and back. When I got her in her bed ahe thanked me and apologized for being so disgusting. At that moment I realized not only was I a blessing for her but she was to me as well. She made me realize that in our old age we as techs. and nurses more then ever have to try to preserve the dignity they had in their former years. So after settling down I followed the leading of the Lord to pray with her and put into her chart that a pastor need to see her. The story continued on like this till 7am. When I said good bye to her and gave my report to the next shift. Sadly she got another round of straight faced nurses and techs. But my prayer is that she would be treated well .

My whole point of telling this story is to show how decayed our society has become. In most circumstances an old women would have been immediately drugged so the staff wouldn’t have to deal with her, “ to shut her up” then they would have left her alone. But instead by the grace of GOD I was able to be his hands and feet to care for this elderly women and speak the truth of His word into her life. I knew that she had a physiological issue but I also knew our God is bigger then any disease and I know that a little time of sincere caring from another person could make a huge difference.
The hospital needs to prioritize the budget and hire more caring people for all the patients that are alone and in difficult situations.