“When are you going to work again Poppet?” one of my service users asked me when I was about to end my shift. I wonder why most of them call me this term but when I searched on what’s the English meaning of this endearment, I was touched. I’m blessed to have met such sweet wonderful people in this lifetime at work.
“I’ll be back tomorrow to see you smile again,” my genuine response of eagerness to work with the same bay the following night.
How was the first graveyard shift? It wasn’t as relaxed as I pictured it out to be but I definitely enjoyed it.
Working as a nurse is a tedious job not just physically but emotionally draining too. Once the clock starts for the handover, it’s a non stop movement for us inside the ward. My body will only let me know I’ve been moving around all shift the moment I’ll curl up in bed, all snug and warm with aching leg muscles.
Apart from the exhaustion, there is something more rewarding on this profession making me want to go on duty everyday. It’s the simple gesture of gratitude from my service users when they are under my care. Touching lives is the trademark of nursing. Would you agree on that? Oh yeah nurses rock.
Here are my highlights for my night shifts this week.
I received a phone call from one of the daughters of my patient and when I relayed the message to him, his reaction was priceless for a dad longing for his daughter’s affection.”This is the second time for this year when she called me. I can’t wait to hear from her tomorrow Poppet.”
It made me call my Papa right after my shift. I haven’t called him for the past few days because of being too busy at work. Thanks to my patient letting me realized how our parents must have been wanting to hear from us.
While doing my paperworks near his bedside, I’ve heard him humming a classic song on his bed smiling from ear to ear. Approached him, joined his happiness and sang a nursery rhyme for him, When you’re happy and you know it you clap your hands. We both did clap our hands and the next thing we knew was we were both laughing in delight.😀
Another patient of mine asked a favor while I’m in the middle of doing something. “I know you are busy Poppet but can you please give me a glass of juice.” How can you not appreciate this kind of polite request from them? After giving him the drink before leaving his bedside, “That’s going to cost you five pounds for one drink,” cracking him a joke just before me doing another task. He replied while giggling,”You always know how to make this old man smile, don’t you?”😂
Everytime I approach my patients everyday no matter what load I am carrying within me, I would never forget to carry the smile to them. Why? Because that’s one way for me to at least ease their discomfort on whatever pain they may have now.
Went to end my shift with my body ready to drop in bed but with a heart on a cloud nine knowing I somehow made some of them smile.
Goodnight!
Mich😘
