My first student rotation in nursing school was on a pediatric floor in a very large Army Medical Center. We were assigned a group of patients for 1 week. One of my patients was a little girl with a burn injury. Every morning, I would take off her dressing, gently cleanse the burn, and apply a topical antimicrobial agent. As I did this, I talked gently with her and told her how brave she was. It was obvious to me that she was in pain and frightened, and gently talking and explaining what I was doing seemed to have helped her very much. On the last day of my rotation, I visited my patients to say goodbye. The little girl came up to me and motioned me to bend down near her face. She reached up and hugged my neck, kissed me, and thanked me for being good to her.
I was surprised that she did that-it was the first time a patient responded to me in that way. At that particular time in my education, the gesture served as a wonderful affirmation for me. As a nursing student, I was not certain I had the abilities and resources needed to meet the challenges of the nursing profession. Her response to my care provided me the confirmation that I was on the right course.
That was back in 1979. That patient was only 5 years old. Today, she must be grown and probably does not remember me nor what I did-but I remember what she did for me. Acts of kindness and love stay with us.
Small acts of kindness could go a long way in helping nurses and patients alike. Nurses use clinical knowledge of therapies and drugs in patient care, but the most important asset that nurses have is their heart and soul. Empathy and compassion are essential components of the healing process. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Nowhere are these elements more important than when patients and their families are facing the end of life. Not all of us have lost a loved one, experienced an overwhelming illness, or watched a loved one struggle with a devastating disease, but we have all had some type of loss in our lives. Using those experiences can inspire nurses to carry out acts of kindness to effectively support patients in critical situations.
Acts of kindness can be helpful in various clinical situations-whether caring for a patient with a minor injury or one facing a life-threatening illness. In any situation, nurses must remember to always practice kindness, empathy, compassion, and love.