A bit of kindness

At work this week, I had the fortune of caring for an elderly gentleman while his heart was evaluated at our office. I spent the better part of the day recovering this patient, talking with his wife and family. This is always the part that I miss about working in the hospitals: the rapport we establish with one another. In nursing, we are constantly trying to remember our impact on patients, focusing on and hoping that we are leaving a positive one. As I walked my patient and his wife to the car where their son was waiting, they both turned and hugged me and left me with a small heartfelt reflection of their time with me. Then they turned, hand in hand, and finished their walk to the car. I often forget the positive impact that my patients have on me.