This past week, I had the opportunity to witness Aman Khaira demonstrate kindness, compassion, and empathy toward one of our burn patients. The patient, MT, was admitted during shift report, just as the day shift team was coming onto duty. MT came up directly from the Emergency Department after a house fire had taken his home, his belongings, and most importantly, two of his children. MT did not have any family or friends with him, as his wife was with the other children at a local hospital. Upon arrival to the Burn Unit, MT was emotionally distraught and in utter disbelief at the recent events. He was unable to rest due to the scene replaying in his head. MT verbalized the guilt that he had for "not being able to save his babies" and expressed his desire for a loved one's presence as he processed this horrific event.
On that particular Monday, Aman was the bedside nurse assigned to MT. Aman responded to MT's admission by the prompt establishment of his presence at the bedside and by providing emotional support. Aman participated in MT's bedside rounds with the resident to ensure that the communication was thorough and all of MT's questions regarding his healthcare were addressed. While MT did not endorse any thoughts of harming himself, he clearly verbalized a grim outlook on his life and new future. Aman recognized the pain and emotional fragility of MT, thus causing him to sacrifice his own time for the greater good of supporting MT. He made the decision that he would be the support person for MT until his loved ones were present. Aman shared that he spent two hours in MT's room, simply listening to him as he processed through the event. He explained how difficult it was hearing the recollection of the house fire and MT describing his unsuccessful attempts to save his children. Despite how challenging it was for Aman to hear these things, he stayed with MT and showed him the compassion and empathy that one needs when dealing with the loss of loved ones.
I can truly say that it is an honor to work with an individual who possesses such amazing qualities. The care that Aman provided MT was above and beyond the typical nursing care that one is assigned. Aman's willingness to remain at MT's bedside throughout his emotional distress displays his dedication to serving MT's physical, emotional, and psychological support. These characteristics create the type of nurse and human being that one should aspire to be, looking at the patient from a holistic approach and remembering the significance of serving others.