We are actually taught to do this in nursing school. They told us to always talk to our patients and tell them what we're going to do even when dealing with comatose patients. I've even gone so far as to talk to my patient who had just passed away as I was preparing her body. It just felt right to me. This is a good reminder. Thank you.
+Angeloublue32 Yes, I believe that it was the right thing to do. Just as washing the body of a dead person is a sign of care and respect in death, talking to her is too. Think of all the people who talk to loved ones years after they died.
I nursed in ICU for 30 years, mostly at The Canberra Hospital ACT Australia. It was drummed into us very early on to treat our patients like one of our family members .We spoke to them before touching them, and explained what we were doing to them. We played their CDs for them. We took them outside to sit on a balcony and get some sunlight. We arranged for their pets to visit in ICU....and sit on the bed for a cuddle We organised a TV so they could watch their football team play. We ordered birthday cakes from the kitchen on their birthdays .And yes most of these patients were ventilated .My colleagues and I took great pride in our attempts to make life a little better for our patients because we realised that being a patient in ICU was a living hell .We set an example for all all the new staff to follow and I retired six years ago knowing that I gave it my absolute best, ,every shift. And I believe I made a difference
+kathy feeley How lucky for you and all your patients that your teachers included lessons of the heart when training you. Just think of all the lives you touched in such an important way! Thank you!
I just spent 20 days in the ICU after a ruptured brain aneurysm. I can absolutely relate to this. There were a couple of nurses I will never forget. They were lights in the darkness for me. I'm convinced one is a real life angel. And I will forever be grateful for the surgeons who saved my life - especially the ONE who did not talk down to me, listened fully and intently, and would not leave my room until he was sure all my questions were answered. It's not just ICUs. It's a microcosm of what's happening in our world. People are losing their humanity. Apathy is becoming the norm. We need to right this ship.
I graduated from Nursing school and went straight into critical care - I signed up for my critical care Course the week I graduated - my first job was in open heart - the Intensive care nurses acted as charge nurses in the Step-down telemetry units - I transferred a patient to the ICU - after she coded - on my watch twice-she spent when ever I was assigned to the ICU - I was always assigned to her care. She finally left the ICU - two months I did not see her ( - I ran into her husband just before christmas and he told me there was a patient in 802 who told him if he saw me to come up and see him. I walked into the room and there was my patient that coded on me three times - Wh hugged, we laughed - I was in shock- She said,"When I was in a coma I knew when you came and when you left. I remember all of the nice things you said to me - when you left and I would cry - That was an eyeopener to me- I became a nurse educator in three major universities and the first thing I taught my students - The patient hears what you say and they remember.
This is very touching. As an ICU nurse myself, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of a high acuity environment and almost forget that beneath the ventilator, IV lines, electrodes and wires that there is a human being you are taking care of, and that you are making a difference to this person, even if he or she cannot express it. Thank you for sharing.
+Bryan Klein Thank you for hearing the message. I hope you will be able to remember, even on the busiest days in ICU, that this is probably the worst time in the entire life of your patient and that a simple gesture, word, touch, etc can make a difference.
Yes true Being a nurse we always busy with our work but we do forget about my patient as a human Insha alllah i will start conversations with patient which will heal him more than a medicine
Thank you to all health care support and heath care professionals who ALWAYS do behave professionally and appropriately by seriously following your basic legally mandated training, via ALWAYS speaking with your patients by appropriately identifying yourself to the patient even if they are in a coma or sedated. Yes you have been trained to be professionals and you know your patients can hear you and yes your patients do usually know when you are preforming any task in the room or to them.Thank you for professionally appropriately explaining everything you are going to do before doing so. Thank you to the professional Nurses and Physicians appropriately fully explaining all tests and diagnosis in layman's terminologies to all your patients. THESE ARE THE BASIC LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF ALL MEDICAL CARE INCLUDING WITH CONSENT. This is not just about the mental and emotional care of your patients, which is part of the care we are required to undertake, but also we have the responsibility of not causing further harm or trauma by scarring the wits out of our patients as a Nurse or Physician that inhumanly and inappropriately just grabs a portion of their body without informed consent! I'm shocked to read some comments in this thread from a few people self identifying themselves as health care professionals. Seriously how can any health care professional not know a duty of care is to talk with your patients??? It is beyond ridiculous and egregious that any support staff, any Nurse, or any Physician, is not aware this is legally mandated of you to enact EVERY TIME you engage with any of your patients as part of the care you MUST give your patients. Your patients are not the non human dummies you participated with during medical training. All patients are humans and have these human rights and patient rights. Any type of health care staff or provider are legally responsible for ALL their care just as I was. One of the very first things I learned as even a 14 year old when my late Grandmother, a RN Nurse, started my training as a Health Care Aid in 1984 was the legal requirements to always show our patients the absolute respect they are legally entitled to. We MUST always address any patient by their name. We MUST always speak to them and with them if they are able. We MUST answer questions, or get the medical professional in charge called to do so. We MUST always explain everything we are going to do BEFORE we do so. Otherwise the facts in most countries is if you don't do so consistently you have not fulfilled the basic legal requirements of medical care all medical professionals have agreed to provide as a licensed health care professionals. The other facts are the patient can sue you, your facility, and report you to the licensing authorities of your area of medical practice. You CAN lose your medical license if you do not fulfill these basic legal requirements of fiduciary duty of care.
Great reminder to anyone working in health care. I aspire to be that "one" nurse that a woman like this will never forget because I impacted their lives.
xDLXSFx I work in an ICU that is full of nurses that are “that one nurse”. It comes from holding each other accountable and setting the example. Steel sharpens steel.
This is a touching story. I have been in ER a few times and I KNOW it is worth more than GOLD to be kind and communicative to patients, to acknowledge their prescence and to CARE. LOVE this story!!
Thank you for reminding us, (people who work in the ICU ) how it feels being unable to speak,move,express your self.I am a doctor in the ICU and i believe that it is important to learn to be ...human.
Thank you for this - I spent three weeks in a coma and relate very much to all you say. There was one male nurse called James who was as you described, 7 years later and I cry thinking about him. He gave me such lovely care. There were others though who were cruel. They resented turning me and told me so. I could not defend myself and that has added to subsequent trauma. James was good though.
I'm watching this as a first semester nursing student. I will strive to be like this nurse and hopefully in the near future I can come back to this video officially as an RN :)
Bless him and I know. I had an ICU male nurse who spent time with me talking to me, asking me, telling me ..... I wasn't a machine, I was a real man connected to a machine (or several). Most of the ICU nurses were the same way, but he really stands out. Thank you so much Jake.
I can't imagine not talking to my patients as if they could hear and understand me and I think the same can be said for most of my colleagues. I think that practice has really changed for the better in the 30 years since this woman had her unfortunate experience, in part because brave people like her have shared their stories. I do think it's important to remember that sometimes you straight up can't talk to the patient when you're concentrating on something important as you need to dedicate 100% attention to it, though.
Wow, that is amazing tbh. I’m glad someone was able. I understand the busy nature of healthcare but making time for your patients however you can is awesome, especially if you have a thankful patient that shows regards and respect back. It’s like a positive feeding a positive.
OMG --- how true this is! A gentle word - a soft touch to show you care - how blessed is that! As a recent cardiac patient - in emerg - I remember that overworked emerg nurse stopping by to say "Kathy, you're doing okay! I'll be back immediately if that buzzer goes again!"
thanks for sharing this video, I will definitely share this with my nursing students as a reminder that the patient in ICU is human and needs that caring compassionate attitude amidst all that technology.
Kathy thank you for sharing your experience as a icu patient. I am an icu nurse and I firmly believe despite all the the expected task that needs to be done. Compassion , empathy and talking to your patient is really important. Ventilated and sedated is a wrong concept that people can’t feel you or hear you. The patient can feel your touch and hear you. Thank u 🙏 to remind us that it’s not just a body .
I can see how people would get forgot in ICU. As a future nurse, you need to care for the whole person and not just the disease. I always tell my patients what I am doing even if they cannot talk back to me. I have used guided imagery before and it has helped tremendously. I want to be an ICU nurse eventually and this just proves it even more. Thank you for this.
+ValerieRose When you become a nurse there will be so many opportunities to convey much more than what you are doing - a warm smile, a comment or question about the book on their bed table or the show on TV or the music they are listening to, or the flowers....
It's amazing to hear Katy speak about the most "normal" things we should do in the ICU. I myself am an ICU nurse in The Netherlands and had tears in my eyes. The little things are the most important things for my patiënts. And to often we "forget" these common things in our work, because of stress, workload etc. But we must not forget the most important things!! Because it doesn't takes more time. Let this story inspire us all to act as that ICU nurse 20 years ago. Thanks Katye!!!
@@moments007 I am just that kind of person, which is why i am working extremely hard to graduate this 2020. I was a CNA before this journey, and i tended to ppl who are comatose I talked to them throughout the care and make them feel that someone cares about them...
This is amazing. It reminds me of Jill Bolte Taylor’s account of having a traumatic brain injury, and how she could still feel others around her in a hypersensitive, right brained way. Thank you for sharing this! And I’m wondering, is the time to upload another video? It’s been a few months.
I always always talk to my patients explain what is going on and what is going to happen. Its called being compassionate and being human being empathetic and dont forget a little love and humor!
I always talk to my patients. Whether they appear to hear me or not. I know that I can make an impact on the people I take care of more with my words and my skill than just my skill alone.
I was an ICU patient too in induced coma on life support for 3 weeks, I too felt ignored, like a nuisance, etc, throughout most of my stay, I ended up with PTSD as a result as I was not told what happened to me until 2-3 days after I woke up, I was still in a delusional state and was not able to comprehend what was going on, I endured 3 years of PTSD and finally returned to work and my life 3 years later, I was lucky I did have my mom, who is an amazing nurse, she sat with me every day, once she was gone, I was terrified because having a tube down my throat meant that I couldn't communicate with the staff. I was often too hot, too cold, in pain, or just confused as to what was happening ....I'm glad to be alive, today but please any ICU nurses, or doctors please explain what you are doing and what is happening or you are setting up your patient for years of emotional after effects!! I know this job is very challenging, but even to tell her that she is OK will go a long way to healing the whole person
I woke up on intensive care. My eyes were swollen shut. I couldn’t see. My jaw was wired closed. And there was a hole in my throat. So, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t drink. And there was a machine forcing air through the hole in my throat. So, I couldn’t even breathe for myself. But I could hear everything. And I searched through all the noises of the busy Intensive Care Unit for any sign for what was happening to me or likely to happen to me. And then, a machine could bleep loudly. I couldn’t see and I didn’t know what it was. And I thought that maybe I “was gonna die” (was going to die). But somebody would come and they would reset the alarm and move away silently. The doctors would come around the bed and they would discuss my case in great detail with each other, in a language that I didn’t understand. And then they too would just quietly go away. And at night nurses would come and they would attend to my… the I. V. lines that fed, and hydrated and medicated me, and they would take notes, I suppose, read things. And they attended to my physical needs with skilled efficiency, but they never saw, they never acknowledged my emotional rules, except for one special nurse. Every time he came in to look after me, he would lean close to my face and put his hand on my shoulder and I could see through the slits of my eyes the outline of him and he would call me by name. And he would tell me what he was going to be doing that day. And then he did something that not one other person did for the three weeks I was on life support: he talked to me like a human being. He would talk about everyday things as he went about, cleaning my wounds, cleaning my body… You know, washing me, changing my clothes, checking my I. V. lines. He would talk about things like what kind of a day it was outside, or who would come to visit me while I was asleep. He talked about common everyday things. And it didn’t take a moment longer that it might have taken otherwise. People are so afraid that if you make a human connection with the patient that it’s “gonna” (it’s going to) take too much time. It took him no extra time. And yet, twenty years later, because twenty years ago that I had a multi trauma accident, that nearly killed me and get me, you know, in hospitals for seventy years, but I remember him in every time I speak. I tell the story of this nurse, this wonderful man. And how much his touch that didn’t hurt, but wasn’t efficient, how much that meant to me, how much telling me what the weather was like outside or telling me an anecdote about something that was on the news. Anything like that reminded me that I was more than a broken body. And I will never forget him. And it’s twenty years and I still feel the gratitude that [were] deeply that I can express to you ]
+Pedinnov I just saw this. I'm impressed that you wrote it verbatim. One tiny error that would make people question what I was on about - I was in hospitals having surgery for seventeen years following the accident, not seventy years!
When my mother was on life support in ICU for 10 days eight years ago, the ICU staff commented that we as a family were unusual because when we visited we would talk to her, pray with her, and hold her hand or stroke her hair (it was difficult to touch much of her, but those two options were available). She couldn't respond much (too many grotesque & frightening tubes -- and that was from *our* perspective, not hers!), but I remember she would cry, silently. Afterwards, she didn't remember very much at all about it, but she did talk about how frightened she was, and the terror of being unable to communicate. The poor darling kept pulling tubes out, so they strapped her hands to the sides of her bed as if she was a prisoner. It was necessary for her survival, but one particular nurse seemed to lack any empathy and would treat her as if she was being a naughty child. No-one explained to her why she was in this situation or tried to see it from her point of view -- which was that she was b****y frightened! Once I explained gently & carefully to her why she needed to stop pulling the tubes out, she did. We also worked out that she wanted something to write on, and got her a whiteboard & marker pen. Then she was able to tell us that the tube in her throat was sitting uncomfortably high -- I don't think anything could be done about that, but at least someone was able to explain why they couldn't change it and that made it a bit more bearable for her. // For families, too, ICU is a frightening and foreign environment, and they need to be helped to understand things such as whether it's ok to touch their loved one (human touch is such a powerful healer), and the importance of talking to them, whether or not we know if they can hear us (another family I know would take a CD player & earphones in to their mother and play her her favourite music). It is really important that ICU staff lead by example, especially as for many people (e.g., Pasifika cultures) doctors are up there with God, so if we see the staff expressing the humanity of the patient, even when our loved one looks almost unrecognisable & like something out of a sci-fi movie, then we have permission to do the same.
wow, good to know. we have been taugh to talk to our patients even thought they did not talk back to us due to their condition. thank you for sharing this !!!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have never heard an experience related quite in this way before -so powerful! I look forward to sharing this with my radiography students. Just read some of the messages and have to say that although we talk to the patients on ICU, we might then talk across the patient, sometimes about getting a good x-ray image but sometimes about whatever we were chatting about on the way to the ward. These comments remind about the importance of being 'present' with a patient and what we are doing. Another discussion for class.
Great story and thanks for all of your wonderful work. I’ll blog about it at Confident Voices in Healthcare. I believe the nurse she spoke about was inclusive and honoring of his relationship with Cathy. I do think it may take just a little more time to practice this kind of nursing and that it is important to recognize that so we can be mindful and be present for all of our patients. It means we are listening rather than thinking about the next task we have to do, med we have to give, doctor we have to call, alarm we have to turn off, doctors order we have to transcribe, assessment we have to enter into the computer, family member we have to contact or problem we have to solve. To the patient or outsider, this listening doesn't take any time, but I believe it does. It requires that we slow down a little bit and pay attention. It is safer, kinder, and ultimately more cost effective because we will make less mistakes.
I was looked at by my colleagues as awkward for talking to my patients. they didnt like me, and so they got rid of me. I worked in the ICU at this time. I knew my stuff forward and backward. it's a shame how hostile nursing can be..those who can and do impact lives the most do not get to stay around long.
Sorry to hear your sad story. Our healthcare system doesn't much value compassion and caring and to actively promote it, can lead to rejection. My own medical colleagues ignored my work for a decade but now they honour me. Have compassion for your colleagues - their harsh reaction comes from pain and suffering of their own. Your compassionate practice shows them up.
I probably need to clarify that I had a series of dozens of reconstructive and corrective surgeries and procedures over the course of 17 years. I was not constantly in the hospital for that length of time.
I'm no where near the point of taking the prereqs for nursing school yet, let alone nursing school, but this is the kind of person/nurse I aspire to BE.
I always said hello to a man with a tracheostomie. One day he said hello back and i freaked out. Turned out his cannula was filled with slime and because the balloon was deflated he could talk. We both laughed😀
I had a nurse who looked out for me although I can’t recall much of what he said but it didn’t even register with me I was in ICU I thought I was in a psychiatric ward because I was in one when I was 16 but the stuff I hallucinated about and dreamt about left me in such a scared state than according to my mum the female nurses were actually in tears as apparently the look of terror on my face was too much for them to cope with and I do vaguely remember my dead cat being lowered from the ceiling towards my face and I couldn’t move. It was a terrible experience but this 1 nurse I always felt relieved if I knew he was around.
What a terrible experience! So glad you had one nurse who was present to you. BTW, there is now a rapidly effective method for erasing traumatic memories, called Havening Touch. Many patients with time on ICU are left with post traumatic stress (PTSD). See havening.org
+Houston soomo Don't be afraid to talk to her, to touch her, to kiss her, to play her favourite music....to love her. Meanwhile, I'll say a prayer for her! Best Wishes, Kathy
+Kathy I hope your girlfriend is ok now,.oil was in a coma for 7 days. I woke up incubated.I was lucky I had my mom there but icu nurses are angels without wings. I could hear before I woke up. your girlfriend knew you were there
Hello. I'm currently going through icu fatigue. It is day 62 and I'm so grateful for this video. I can relate. Is this for a support group? Are they available?
Thanks Robin. I'll use the content for a linguistic purpose with future nurses in the North of France. But the human and emotional aspect will overshadow the linguistic value
I awoke in ICU to someone saying “aren’t you even going to try to breathe on your own!?” I inhaled, then eventually figured out that I was on a ventilator. Then I tried to speak and couldn’t. I didn’t know why at the time but later a nurse mentioned removing my intubation , and she told me I would be able to talk. Maybe someone spoke to me, but no one recapped my care. It was a very lonely experience. (Maybe they were ignoring me because my respiratory failure was self induced. I had overdosed intentionally. I got two word for word identical lectures about how I could have been a vegetable. I was scolded then released to psych ward)
We are actually taught to do this in nursing school. They told us to always talk to our patients and tell them what we're going to do even when dealing with comatose patients. I've even gone so far as to talk to my patient who had just passed away as I was preparing her body. It just felt right to me. This is a good reminder. Thank you.
+Angeloublue32 Yes, I believe that it was the right thing to do. Just as washing the body of a dead person is a sign of care and respect in death, talking to her is too. Think of all the people who talk to loved ones years after they died.
I nursed in ICU for 30 years, mostly at The Canberra Hospital ACT Australia. It was drummed into us very early on to treat our patients like one of our family members .We spoke to them before touching them, and explained what we were doing to them. We played their CDs for them. We took them outside to sit on a balcony and get some sunlight. We arranged for their pets to visit in ICU....and sit on the bed for a cuddle We organised a TV so they could watch their football team play. We ordered birthday cakes from the kitchen on their birthdays .And yes most of these patients were ventilated .My colleagues and I took great pride in our attempts to make life a little better for our patients because we realised that being a patient in ICU was a living hell .We set an example for all all the new staff to follow and I retired six years ago knowing that I gave it my absolute best, ,every shift. And I believe I made a difference
+kathy feeley How lucky for you and all your patients that your teachers included lessons of the heart when training you. Just think of all the lives you touched in such an important way! Thank you!
You sound like an amazing nurse. From a relatives perspective, this is priceless!
I just spent 20 days in the ICU after a ruptured brain aneurysm. I can absolutely relate to this. There were a couple of nurses I will never forget. They were lights in the darkness for me. I'm convinced one is a real life angel. And I will forever be grateful for the surgeons who saved my life - especially the ONE who did not talk down to me, listened fully and intently, and would not leave my room until he was sure all my questions were answered. It's not just ICUs. It's a microcosm of what's happening in our world. People are losing their humanity. Apathy is becoming the norm. We need to right this ship.
I graduated from Nursing school and went straight into critical care - I signed up for my critical care Course the week I graduated - my first job was in open heart - the Intensive care nurses acted as charge nurses in the Step-down telemetry units - I transferred a patient to the ICU - after she coded - on my watch twice-she spent when ever I was assigned to the ICU - I was always assigned to her care. She finally left the ICU - two months I did not see her ( - I ran into her husband just before christmas and he told me there was a patient in 802 who told him if he saw me to come up and see him. I walked into the room and there was my patient that coded on me three times - Wh hugged, we laughed - I was in shock- She said,"When I was in a coma I knew when you came and when you left. I remember all of the nice things you said to me - when you left and I would cry - That was an eyeopener to me- I became a nurse educator in three major universities and the first thing I taught my students - The patient hears what you say and they remember.
This is very touching. As an ICU nurse myself, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of a high acuity environment and almost forget that beneath the ventilator, IV lines, electrodes and wires that there is a human being you are taking care of, and that you are making a difference to this person, even if he or she cannot express it. Thank you for sharing.
+Bryan Klein Thank you for hearing the message. I hope you will be able to remember, even on the busiest days in ICU, that this is probably the worst time in the entire life of your patient and that a simple gesture, word, touch, etc can make a difference.
Yes true
Being a nurse we always busy with our work but we do forget about my patient as a human
Insha alllah i will start conversations with patient which will heal him more than a medicine
Thank you to all health care support and heath care professionals who ALWAYS do behave professionally and appropriately by seriously following your basic legally mandated training, via ALWAYS speaking with your patients by appropriately identifying yourself to the patient even if they are in a coma or sedated. Yes you have been trained to be professionals and you know your patients can hear you and yes your patients do usually know when you are preforming any task in the room or to them.Thank you for professionally appropriately explaining everything you are going to do before doing so. Thank you to the professional Nurses and Physicians appropriately fully explaining all tests and diagnosis in layman's terminologies to all your patients. THESE ARE THE BASIC LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF ALL MEDICAL CARE INCLUDING WITH CONSENT. This is not just about the mental and emotional care of your patients, which is part of the care we are required to undertake, but also we have the responsibility of not causing further harm or trauma by scarring the wits out of our patients as a Nurse or Physician that inhumanly and inappropriately just grabs a portion of their body without informed consent! I'm shocked to read some comments in this thread from a few people self identifying themselves as health care professionals. Seriously how can any health care professional not know a duty of care is to talk with your patients??? It is beyond ridiculous and egregious that any support staff, any Nurse, or any Physician, is not aware this is legally mandated of you to enact EVERY TIME you engage with any of your patients as part of the care you MUST give your patients. Your patients are not the non human dummies you participated with during medical training. All patients are humans and have these human rights and patient rights. Any type of health care staff or provider are legally responsible for ALL their care just as I was. One of the very first things I learned as even a 14 year old when my late Grandmother, a RN Nurse, started my training as a Health Care Aid in 1984 was the legal requirements to always show our patients the absolute respect they are legally entitled to. We MUST always address any patient by their name. We MUST always speak to them and with them if they are able. We MUST answer questions, or get the medical professional in charge called to do so. We MUST always explain everything we are going to do BEFORE we do so. Otherwise the facts in most countries is if you don't do so consistently you have not fulfilled the basic legal requirements of medical care all medical professionals have agreed to provide as a licensed health care professionals. The other facts are the patient can sue you, your facility, and report you to the licensing authorities of your area of medical practice. You CAN lose your medical license if you do not fulfill these basic legal requirements of fiduciary duty of care.
So powerful. I'm an ICU nurse myself, thank you for reminding me my job.
Great reminder to anyone working in health care. I aspire to be that "one" nurse that a woman like this will never forget because I impacted their lives.
xDLXSFx I work in an ICU that is full of nurses that are “that one nurse”. It comes from holding each other accountable and setting the example. Steel sharpens steel.
This is a touching story. I have been in ER a few times and I KNOW it is worth more than GOLD to be kind and communicative to patients, to acknowledge their prescence and to CARE.
LOVE this story!!
Thank you for reminding us, (people who work in the ICU ) how it feels being unable to speak,move,express your self.I am a doctor in the ICU and i believe that it is important to learn to be ...human.
Thank you for this - I spent three weeks in a coma and relate very much to all you say.
There was one male nurse called James who was as you described, 7 years later and I cry thinking about him. He gave me such lovely care.
There were others though who were cruel. They resented turning me and told me so. I could not defend myself and that has added to subsequent trauma.
James was good though.
I'm watching this as a first semester nursing student. I will strive to be like this nurse and hopefully in the near future I can come back to this video officially as an RN :)
Bless him and I know. I had an ICU male nurse who spent time with me talking to me, asking me, telling me ..... I wasn't a machine, I was a real man connected to a machine (or several). Most of the ICU nurses were the same way, but he really stands out. Thank you so much Jake.
I can't imagine not talking to my patients as if they could hear and understand me and I think the same can be said for most of my colleagues. I think that practice has really changed for the better in the 30 years since this woman had her unfortunate experience, in part because brave people like her have shared their stories. I do think it's important to remember that sometimes you straight up can't talk to the patient when you're concentrating on something important as you need to dedicate 100% attention to it, though.
Wow, that is amazing tbh. I’m glad someone was able. I understand the busy nature of healthcare but making time for your patients however you can is awesome, especially if you have a thankful patient that shows regards and respect back. It’s like a positive feeding a positive.
OMG --- how true this is! A gentle word - a soft touch to show you care - how blessed is that! As a recent cardiac patient - in emerg - I remember that overworked emerg nurse stopping by to say "Kathy, you're doing okay! I'll be back immediately if that buzzer goes again!"
thanks for sharing this video, I will definitely share this with my nursing students as a reminder that the patient in ICU is human and needs that caring compassionate attitude amidst all that technology.
Kathy thank you for sharing your experience as a icu patient. I am an icu nurse and I firmly believe despite all the the expected task that needs to be done. Compassion , empathy and talking to your patient is really important. Ventilated and sedated is a wrong concept that people can’t feel you or hear you. The patient can feel your touch and hear you. Thank u 🙏 to remind us that it’s not just a body .
I was a patient, and am now volunteering as a patient family advisor. This is what we are trying to improve. Wonderful video!
I can see how people would get forgot in ICU. As a future nurse, you need to care for the whole person and not just the disease. I always tell my patients what I am doing even if they cannot talk back to me. I have used guided imagery before and it has helped tremendously. I want to be an ICU nurse eventually and this just proves it even more. Thank you for this.
+ValerieRose When you become a nurse there will be so many opportunities to convey much more than what you are doing - a warm smile, a comment or question about the book on their bed table or the show on TV or the music they are listening to, or the flowers....
It's amazing to hear Katy speak about the most "normal" things we should do in the ICU.
I myself am an ICU nurse in The Netherlands and had tears in my eyes. The little things are the most important things for my patiënts. And to often we "forget" these common things in our work, because of stress, workload etc. But we must not forget the most important things!! Because it doesn't takes more time. Let this story inspire us all to act as that ICU nurse 20 years ago.
Thanks Katye!!!
First world problems. Just be thankful that you are alive and well!!
It is very touching. It also makes us aware of a core part of our job.
This is so incredibly important. Thank you for bringing this out in the open.
nurses talk to your patients!!! I want to be a nurse like that man ;)
Hi Kadri, my story & ICU.
gazd007.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/supporting-the-nhs-its-staff/
All the very best.
@@moments007 I am just that kind of person, which is why i am working extremely hard to graduate this 2020. I was a CNA before this journey, and i tended to ppl who are comatose I talked to them throughout the care and make them feel that someone cares about them...
Soooo beautiful. Thank you for sharing!! I will keep this in mind because I want to work in the ICU once I'm done with nursing school.
Hi,
My story might help you.
gazd007.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/supporting-the-nhs-its-staff/
All the best.
Proud to be icu nurse!
This is amazing. It reminds me of Jill Bolte Taylor’s account of having a traumatic brain injury, and how she could still feel others around her in a hypersensitive, right brained way. Thank you for sharing this! And I’m wondering, is the time to upload another video? It’s been a few months.
I always always talk to my patients explain what is going on and what is going to happen. Its called being compassionate and being human being empathetic and dont forget a little love and humor!
Respiratory Therapist get this compliment all the time
This is a great reminder and I will make sure I practice this when I care for my patients.
you touched me xxx I will nurse so different because of this story
+melanie lavington Your heart is one of your most important tools. Sounds like you've got a good one! Thank you for the work you do! Kathy
beautiful testimony for what nurses can do more and better
So beautiful. This is the healthcare provider I want to be ❤
This is why I want to be a nurse!! So beautiful
I always talk to my patients. Whether they appear to hear me or not. I know that I can make an impact on the people I take care of more with my words and my skill than just my skill alone.
Powerful message. I am going to use this in my classes.
I was an ICU patient too in induced coma on life support for 3 weeks, I too felt ignored, like a nuisance, etc, throughout most of my stay, I ended up with PTSD as a result as I was not told what happened to me until 2-3 days after I woke up, I was still in a delusional state and was not able to comprehend what was going on, I endured 3 years of PTSD and finally returned to work and my life 3 years later, I was lucky I did have my mom, who is an amazing nurse, she sat with me every day, once she was gone, I was terrified because having a tube down my throat meant that I couldn't communicate with the staff. I was often too hot, too cold, in pain, or just confused as to what was happening ....I'm glad to be alive, today but please any ICU nurses, or doctors please explain what you are doing and what is happening or you are setting up your patient for years of emotional after effects!! I know this job is very challenging, but even to tell her that she is OK will go a long way to healing the whole person
God bless you, and bless every nurse
This is lovely. Some people in the medical field do forget why they decided to help others. Sometimes WE have to remind them.
Thank you Robin for sharing this special story, to remind to these important aspects.
I woke up on intensive care. My eyes were swollen shut. I couldn’t see. My jaw was wired closed. And there was a hole in my throat. So, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t drink. And there was a machine forcing air through the hole in my throat. So, I couldn’t even breathe for myself. But I could hear everything. And I searched through all the noises of the busy Intensive Care Unit for any sign for what was happening to me or likely to happen to me. And then, a machine could bleep loudly. I couldn’t see and I didn’t know what it was. And I thought that maybe I “was gonna die” (was going to die). But somebody would come and they would reset the alarm and move away silently. The doctors would come around the bed and they would discuss my case in great detail with each other, in a language that I didn’t understand. And then they too would just quietly go away. And at night nurses would come and they would attend to my… the I. V. lines that fed, and hydrated and medicated me, and they would take notes, I suppose, read things. And they attended to my physical needs with skilled efficiency, but they never saw, they never acknowledged my emotional rules, except for one special nurse.
Every time he came in to look after me, he would lean close to my face and put his hand on my shoulder and I could see through the slits of my eyes the outline of him and he would call me by name. And he would tell me what he was going to be doing that day. And then he did something that not one other person did for the three weeks I was on life support: he talked to me like a human being. He would talk about everyday things as he went about, cleaning my wounds, cleaning my body… You know, washing me, changing my clothes, checking my I. V. lines. He would talk about things like what kind of a day it was outside, or who would come to visit me while I was asleep. He talked about common everyday things. And it didn’t take a moment longer that it might have taken otherwise. People are so afraid that if you make a human connection with the patient that it’s “gonna” (it’s going to) take too much time. It took him no extra time.
And yet, twenty years later, because twenty years ago that I had a multi trauma accident, that nearly killed me and get me, you know, in hospitals for seventy years, but I remember him in every time I speak. I tell the story of this nurse, this wonderful man. And how much his touch that didn’t hurt, but wasn’t efficient, how much that meant to me, how much telling me what the weather was like outside or telling me an anecdote about something that was on the news. Anything like that reminded me that I was more than a broken body. And I will never forget him. And it’s twenty years and I still feel the gratitude that [were] deeply that I can express to you
]
+Pedinnov I just saw this. I'm impressed that you wrote it verbatim. One tiny error that would make people question what I was on about - I was in hospitals having surgery for seventeen years following the accident, not seventy years!
If only i can copy this text
Thanks Robin- will ask med students and house officers to watch
When my mother was on life support in ICU for 10 days eight years ago, the ICU staff commented that we as a family were unusual because when we visited we would talk to her, pray with her, and hold her hand or stroke her hair (it was difficult to touch much of her, but those two options were available). She couldn't respond much (too many grotesque & frightening tubes -- and that was from *our* perspective, not hers!), but I remember she would cry, silently. Afterwards, she didn't remember very much at all about it, but she did talk about how frightened she was, and the terror of being unable to communicate. The poor darling kept pulling tubes out, so they strapped her hands to the sides of her bed as if she was a prisoner. It was necessary for her survival, but one particular nurse seemed to lack any empathy and would treat her as if she was being a naughty child. No-one explained to her why she was in this situation or tried to see it from her point of view -- which was that she was b****y frightened! Once I explained gently & carefully to her why she needed to stop pulling the tubes out, she did. We also worked out that she wanted something to write on, and got her a whiteboard & marker pen. Then she was able to tell us that the tube in her throat was sitting uncomfortably high -- I don't think anything could be done about that, but at least someone was able to explain why they couldn't change it and that made it a bit more bearable for her. // For families, too, ICU is a frightening and foreign environment, and they need to be helped to understand things such as whether it's ok to touch their loved one (human touch is such a powerful healer), and the importance of talking to them, whether or not we know if they can hear us (another family I know would take a CD player & earphones in to their mother and play her her favourite music). It is really important that ICU staff lead by example, especially as for many people (e.g., Pasifika cultures) doctors are up there with God, so if we see the staff expressing the humanity of the patient, even when our loved one looks almost unrecognisable & like something out of a sci-fi movie, then we have permission to do the same.
+Deirdre P How lucky your mother was to have you there, really THERE, with her during that awful time!
Hi Kathy - I'm not very good with Google + and have just seen your reply from 5 weeks ago. Thank you
wow, good to know. we have been taugh to talk to our patients even thought they did not talk back to us due to their condition. thank you for sharing this !!!
Wow! This is the type of nurse I strive to be. :-)
Thank you so much for sharing. I have never heard an experience related quite in this way before -so powerful! I look forward to sharing this with my radiography students. Just read some of the messages and have to say that although we talk to the patients on ICU, we might then talk across the patient, sometimes about getting a good x-ray image but sometimes about whatever we were chatting about on the way to the ward. These comments remind about the importance of being 'present' with a patient and what we are doing. Another discussion for class.
Great story and thanks for all of your wonderful work. I’ll blog about it at Confident Voices in Healthcare. I believe the nurse she spoke about was inclusive and honoring of his relationship with Cathy. I do think it may take just a little more time to practice this kind of nursing and that it is important to recognize that so we can be mindful and be present for all of our patients. It means we are listening rather than thinking about the next task we have to do, med we have to give, doctor we have to call, alarm we have to turn off, doctors order we have to transcribe, assessment we have to enter into the computer, family member we have to contact or problem we have to solve. To the patient or outsider, this listening doesn't take any time, but I believe it does. It requires that we slow down a little bit and pay attention. It is safer, kinder, and ultimately more cost effective because we will make less mistakes.
male nurses rock.
Amazing story!!!
I was looked at by my colleagues as awkward for talking to my patients. they didnt like me, and so they got rid of me. I worked in the ICU at this time. I knew my stuff forward and backward. it's a shame how hostile nursing can be..those who can and do impact lives the most do not get to stay around long.
Sorry to hear your sad story. Our healthcare system doesn't much value compassion and caring and to actively promote it, can lead to rejection. My own medical colleagues ignored my work for a decade but now they honour me. Have compassion for your colleagues - their harsh reaction comes from pain and suffering of their own. Your compassionate practice shows them up.
What a beautiful reminder
I am impressed. Sometimes we lost something in ICU. Like emphaty.
+Beyza Berker Don't be afraid to bring the empathy back, patient by patient, in your work!
I probably need to clarify that I had a series of dozens of reconstructive and corrective surgeries and procedures over the course of 17 years. I was not constantly in the hospital for that length of time.
I'm no where near the point of taking the prereqs for nursing school yet, let alone nursing school, but this is the kind of person/nurse I aspire to BE.
That was beautiful, thanks for sharing. I pray that I would be given a chance to work in ICU this year 2018.
This is extremely inspiring!
This is so enlightening
I love this
I always said hello to a man with a tracheostomie. One day he said hello back and i freaked out. Turned out his cannula was filled with slime and because the balloon was deflated he could talk.
We both laughed😀
I had a nurse who looked out for me although I can’t recall much of what he said but it didn’t even register with me I was in ICU I thought I was in a psychiatric ward because I was in one when I was 16 but the stuff I hallucinated about and dreamt about left me in such a scared state than according to my mum the female nurses were actually in tears as apparently the look of terror on my face was too much for them to cope with and I do vaguely remember my dead cat being lowered from the ceiling towards my face and I couldn’t move. It was a terrible experience but this 1 nurse I always felt relieved if I knew he was around.
What a terrible experience! So glad you had one nurse who was present to you. BTW, there is now a rapidly effective method for erasing traumatic memories, called Havening Touch. Many patients with time on ICU are left with post traumatic stress (PTSD). See havening.org
Robin Youngson thanks for your reply.
thats really great words
My girlfriend is in the same now and I'm crying
+Houston soomo Don't be afraid to talk to her, to touch her, to kiss her, to play her favourite music....to love her. Meanwhile, I'll say a prayer for her! Best Wishes, Kathy
+Kathy I hope your girlfriend is ok now,.oil was in a coma for 7 days. I woke up incubated.I was lucky I had my mom there but icu nurses are angels without wings. I could hear before I woke up. your girlfriend knew you were there
Hello. I'm currently going through icu fatigue. It is day 62 and I'm so grateful for this video. I can relate. Is this for a support group? Are they available?
Thanks Robin. I'll use the content for a linguistic purpose with future nurses in the North of France. But the human and emotional aspect will overshadow the linguistic value
Amen Hallelujah
I awoke in ICU to someone saying “aren’t you even going to try to breathe on your own!?” I inhaled, then eventually figured out that I was on a ventilator. Then I tried to speak and couldn’t. I didn’t know why at the time but later a nurse mentioned removing my intubation , and she told me I would be able to talk.
Maybe someone spoke to me, but no one recapped my care. It was a very lonely experience. (Maybe they were ignoring me because my respiratory failure was self induced. I had overdosed intentionally. I got two word for word identical lectures about how I could have been a vegetable. I was scolded then released to psych ward)
Hope you are doing better now. I'm sorry to hear of your experience. All of it.
Does someone know some good books about this topic? Communication with family and patients on a ventilator?
I'm a surgeon and during the surgery things get intense
I find it hard to believe that not one RN addressed her emotional needs.
One RN did, she mentioned the male nurse who made the difference
Yes sounds like you were in a very unprofessional hospital
17 years?
Yep. Multiple reconstruction surgeries to my face, orthopaedic operations, surgery to my eye, various procedures and "touch ups"...
6
All I hear is some one complaining. It seems to mean u got excellent care. And u were treated like a human being.
Eva H 🙄
Give us grace. We’re doing our best
I've had delirium. I had no idea what was going on. This is fake