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Topic
NWcontent posted
about 2 years ago
How important are hospital staff?
"I had a couple of really awesome nurses at the PA - Erica, Chassidy, Stu and Aaron. Aaron was the one that explained leukaemia to me..."
"His incredible recovery had a lot to do with doctors Luce and Christoph and two nurses in particular, Mel and Scott, who never failed to motivate and inspire him."
"Luckily for me there was much local anaesthetic and a rather cute young doctor who held my hand..."
On the other hand having a bad doctor or nurse seems to make the worst experience ever – worse! Do you think this is true?
7 Comments in this Topic
I have found the hospital nursing staff Amazing. Dad has had a bad week the last week and it has been oddly comforting to see the nurses look as concerned and upset as we, his family, have been. One nurse in particular looked close to tears to see this once intelligent and funny man not remembering the members of his immediate family. I can’t wait until she works again so she can see how much better he is now.
Dad also has favourites. If a nurse starts their shift and doesn't introduce themselves he doesn't like them very much from then on. He likes knowing he is a person, not just a patient in a bed. He has had a special nurse with him 24 hrs a day for about 6 days now. Some of the nurses I have met have been like friends over this stay in hospital.
We all rest much more comfortably at night knowing that such wonderful, caring and kind people are looking after dad when we can’t.
I believe that hospital staff, whether nursing, kitchen or any other department can most definitely have a huge impact on life in hospital.-
NWcontent said
about 2 years ago
Nurses don't get enough appreciation. People tend to understand how important doctors are (and pay them accordingly) but way fewer people feel the same way about nurses for some reason. 
sunshine said
almost 2 years ago
I agree, nurses do not get enough appreciation.
During my treatment there was one nurse in particular who (like Em said) treated me like a person rather than just 'another patient'. Even though the other nurses were great also, I couldnt wait until she was rostered on which was always at the end of the week!
When I had my surgery I also came across another great nurse (in the recovery room). I was quite drugged up at the time, but I felt like she looked after me like I was her own daughter.
frank said
almost 2 years ago
I also think that having really good nurses and doctors make such a different to treatment. If you have someone come on a shift that you like - or the person who is waking you up in the night is a nurse you like, it just kinda makes it feel a bit better.
My dad and I used to give them stuff like lollies and chocolates and that always made it good to.
Jen said
almost 2 years ago
The staff can really make or break your cancer (or hospital) experience. Its those nurses, doctors, social workers, physios, psychs etc, dieticians etc.. the ones that go above and beyond to make your experience and stay and bearable as possible.
I think it’s only natural to have some 'favourites'. My mum had some amazing nurses look after her at the Gold Coast Hospital. The staff (and hospital in general) had been in the media a fair bit that year about how bad their staff were. I could not disagree more (that’s the media blowing things up for you) The staff were amazing and made my mums and my families experience so much nicer than it could have been. After my mum died I planned to go back and specially thank some of the really amazing ones that my mum and the family really liked. Unfortunately with so many things going on after her death and trying to sort out things I never got around to it. I know they knew how much I appreciated there help and support. I just really couldn’t face that ward or room for about a year and a half after. I did end up going back after to talk about CanTeen and do some visits. It was empowering to go back there and a few of the nurses even remembered my mum and said so many nice things about her. Its pretty special to hear they actually remembered your loved one (I mean they must see SO many people)What are some things people have done to thank amazing hospital staff?
stephano711 said
almost 2 years ago
I know that when my mum went palliative and we visited her in hospital, it was a lot easier when there are good staff. I think the nurses in the palliative ward have 2 jobs. Nurse and Councillor. I know i had a few conversations with the nurses when i was in the family room and they were so comforting and helpful when i needed to know what was happening but i didnt understand what the doctor had said. Even though it was bad news it was easier when i knew what it actually meant.
The nurses knew when you needed them and when you just wanted to be alone.
To be honest I think the nurses make or break the experience in the hospital because even if something goes wrong, if there are good staff that seem like they genuinely care about their patient it makes it so much easier.
I went back to the ward about a year after my mum died and thanked them for looking after her.- i couldn't agree more. during my cancer treatment, the nurses made life bearable. they would joke and laugh with me whennever they came to check up on me, and they were more like close friends than nurses to me.
i think if not for the nurses during my treatment would mostlikely have gotten very depressed which could definitely have had a very real effect on my overall recovery.
i think that doctors generally can't be as nice as nurses as they are responsible for our health. they have to distance themselves for their own personal mental health. but yeah, i believe they try hard, but it's that personal, friendly relationship that most people cultivate with their nurses that makes hospital life bearable.
about a year after my recovery i went back to my ward and gave them a thank you card and thanked any of the nurses i had met during my time there.
it was really lovely to see them all again, and they were genuinely overjoyed to see me healthy and getting on with life. it was a really lovely experience. i only wish that i could have kept in touch with all the nurses i really bonded with so that i could have thanked them all personally. but yeah. i'm eternally grateful to my nurses. as far as i can see they saved my life as much as the doctors did. the doctors looked after me physically, the nurses took care of my mental wellbeing.
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