Patient Experience/Nurse Nursing Personal Statement

Patient Experience/Nurse

Nursing personal statement

In my field of specialty as a perioperative cardiothoracic nurse, I encounter many frightened patients dealing with the prospect of surgery upon one of the most vital organs in the human body -- the heart. Patients often feel out of control in the hospital environment, and helpless in the face of what they will endure in the operating room. For many, it is their first major surgery. However, even as a recent graduate, I was able to provide some comfort to one middle-aged gentleman who was coming in for vascular surgery. For many years, he had been told to improve his diet and exercise patterns, but he always abandoned any program after a few weeks. He said he was a man who "loved life" -- food and drink. Unfortunately, his ways had 'caught up with him.' Now his love of life was putting his life, including his life with his beloved wife and grandchildren, in great jeopardy.

At first, he believed that statin drugs could control 'make up' for his refusal to manage his diet. However, these drugs did not, because he relied upon the drugs alone, rather than combined them with a changed lifestyle, as his doctor had intended. Now, as someone who had always resisted going to the doctor, and taking care of his health, the patient was forced to have major surgery.

I tried to talk with this man about his feelings about being in the hospital, and open up an honest line of dialogue. I did not judge him, merely listened to him at first. I could tell that he was accustomed to being defensive around doctors. I shared some personal experiences from my own family of members who, like himself, had struggled to eat a healthier diet -- but had succeeded. I also stressed that improving his health could not come with taking a pill, and that he had the responsibility after surgery for making and keeping himself well. The doctors and surgeons at the hospital were powerful and skilled, but only he could change his habits. Although this was difficult, I stated, he should be happy that he had the power to change and to live a new and better life. I also added, honestly, that the family members who had changed their ways actually felt better on a daily basis, as well as had a better prognosis in terms of their health. This was the true essence, I stated, of "loving life" in my opinion. I tried to make him see what he was going to have to do after his operation as a gain, rather than a loss. He would be regaining control over his health, and would feel younger and better.

I tried to help this patient feel empowered, by going into detail what would happen to him during the operation in layperson's terms. I could see that feeling in control was very important to him, and I tried to facilitate that sense of control. After the operation, I saw the patient again, when he was going to see his grandson who had had some minor surgery on the pediatric ward. The patient had lost weight, and moved with a spring in his step. He said that the surgery had been just the 'scare' he needed to improve his health. He also thanked me for the time I had taken to make the hospital environment seem less threatening, and for the advice I given to him.