Kara was caring for a patient on the Trauma Service who became unstable while under her care. Kara was very proactive in contacting the primary team to address concerns she had with the patient as they developed. While we were making rounds and checking on the patient, we observed Kara with the patient. The patient was relieved when she saw the physicians in the room. During our time at the bedside and with Kara, as a group, we discussed some concerns, addressed them and created our plan of care. Once the physicians left the room, we stopped just outside of the room with another nurse to enter orders and look at the patient's chart. I overheard the conversation the patient had with Kara. She was anxious that the physicians were leaving. Kara was very caring and compassionate toward the patient. She went over the plan with her. Kara reassured the patient that the physicians wouldn't leave if she were too sick for them to leave. Kara let the patient know that she would be there with her making sure she continued to get the care she needed. It is hard to get across the impact this had on the patient, but Kara remained calm and took the time to ensure the patient understood what was going on and what the plan was. Kara remained calm and used a soothing tone while speaking with the patient which I think also helped to reassure the patient.
I truly feel that nurses often are spread so thin that they don't get to form a bond with their patients. The interaction I witnessed between Kara and her patient let me know that Kara does make sure her patients know they are well cared for and that she has their best interests at the core of what she does. This gives her patients the ability to place their trust in her. Kara didn't know that anyone was paying attention to what she was doing but provided exactly what the patient needed at that time.
Also, worth mentioning, the teamwork that I witnessed while on unit 33 was awesome. Kara had coworkers bringing her supplies and meds and checking on her to make sure she didn't need any additional support. I like to think the teamwork I saw that day was the norm for their unit and that the staff on 33 are always that supportive of one another.