I had the privilege of working in the Children's ED the other day. It has been quite some time since I had worked with children but wanted to reorient myself to this skill. I had a great experience! I thought I was really getting into the swing of things again. It was all coming back to me! While I was sitting at the nurse's station, I happened to look up and see the charge nurse, Ellen, taking a small patient to room 2. I realized that this was my room. Room 2 is a room for "sick" children. I began to get a little nervous. I walked into the room where I found this 3-month old patient who was recently discharged after being born 3 months early and undergoing heart surgery and abdominal surgery. This patient's room air saturations were 75% and this was normal! Needless to say I was scared beyond belief. All I could think was that I was not competent to provide care to this sick baby! Ellen and another coworker recognized my blank stare and uncertainty.
Ellen, along with another nurse, stayed by my side and reassured me that everything was going to be okay. The support that I received from these ladies enabled me to have confidence in myself and provide the best care I could. I learned so much from these amazing nurses. The compassion they showed for both the patient and the struggling nurse (me) was a breath of fresh air. I am so thankful for these ladies. I learned so much from the experience! Ellen had a department full of sick patients, and they still managed to take time to help me. They each had a smile on their face and kind words to say. This is a true example of what real nursing is!