Dear Residents,
It’s that time again, the new season of change where we bedside warriors watch with pride as the doctors we’ve come to respect and love graduate their residency program. Like a proud parent we wipe a moist eye and wave farewell to the well-learned physicians we’ve fought tooth and nail with as they finally earn their wings to fly. Some will stay, and some will move on, but all will be remembered by the nurses who served alongside them.
And then new doctors arrive in their place. New, first-year residents come on board to complete their long journey toward obtaining their career goal, and we struggle to learn new faces and match them with new names. We also strive to mesh with new personalities that are beginning to emerge confidently.
First off, congrats. I’m happy for you, and I’m proud of the career path you’ve chosen. We need new doctors to pick up the reigns and drive this horse of healthcare. But as a seasoned bedside caregiver I wanted to remind you of a few things to help make our partnership a pleasant and effective one.
So here goes.
I am fully aware of your educational level, and yes, I’m impressed. You have attended school at a higher level of learning than myself, and much longer. Your knowledge is extensive, and I respect that. You’re a doctor, and I respect that too. I do. You have chosen a path different than my own, and I admire your determination.
But I only ask for some mutual respect and acknowledgement of my experience, education, and personal sacrifices. While you do hold a positional title above mine it so happens that I’ve been doing this patient care thing much longer than you have. In that time I have observed a lot. I see what response occurs in relation to specific interventions, and I’ve even seen the oddball reactions that hardly ever happen. I have book knowledge too, but I also have bedside experience that can only be gained with time. In other words, been there, done that. So perhaps my suggestion is worth entertaining without disdain.
Here’s another one. I’m here all the time. I’m here with the patient from the moment they arrive, and I hold their hand as they cry in pain and frustration. I possess a lot of useful information in my brain about that person lying in that bed, and it’s stuff you can’t get from their medical record.
I hear the stories, I hear the complaints, the symptoms, and the stuff they forget to report to the ER physician. And the other thing is that when you arrive you’re like the third doctor to come by in a thirty minute period. They’re kind of tired of repeating “what brought them here,” and they leave out a lot for sake of brevity and their own sanity. I can help fill in the missing pieces if you’ll give me the chance.
Of note, what you see on the monitor when you breeze through the unit might not be the whole story. Patient presentation is a big picture, but it’s easy to forget that when faced with a full patient load. I get it; just ask me, and I’ll be glad to share my knowledge of the patient’s entire clinical presentation. That’s kind of a big deal, you know?
As a nurse, being at the bedside the duration of the patient’s stay, I am privy to information that is highly valuable to our team approach. I know how they’re reacting to the orders you’re putting in, and I understand how they might react based on my prior, extensive experience. I don’t mind if you put a little trust in me. I won’t tell.
Above all, we’re a team, you and I. I need you, and I hope you’ll see that you need me too. We have a plethora of sick folks who are counting on us to to make a difference in their future health so we better get to it.
Those who have gone before you have proven themselves well, and together we’ve rocked it out. We’ve caught problems before they became travesties, saved lives, and discovered the qualities we each hold in this great, liquid machine that is patient care delivery.
So here’s to keeping a good thing going! Just remember what your nurse can bring to the table, and we’ll do fine.
Good Luck,
Your Partner in Care, Your Nurse
P.S. Remember, your nurse is always right.
P.S.S. Sorry about waking you up. Again.