One Voice

It seems everyone has something to say, so I thought I would add my "one voice" to the mix. Today, I was surprisingly honored in an award ceremony for writing an "exemplar," a story written to describe one of my experiences as a nurse. Maybe it will bless someone as my first entry on this new blog. It's my life...

“One Voice”
Nursing Exemplar
By Remnant07

“Oh no!” I heard a coworker exclaim. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turning in unison to see the look of horror and despair on her face. The printer had just spit out one of many new orders for the patients on our unit as our night shift neared its end. All the order said was, “Shower patient,” but the patient to which it referred was an adult male with Down’s Syndrome who weighed in excess of 350 pounds! The reason for the order was obvious…his body odor made entering his room a challenge for everyone. His current hospitalization for a wound dehiscence had been preceded by a tumor excision from his massive thigh. It had become so painful prior to that initial surgery that he had refused to walk at home, choosing instead to “scoot” on his bottom which quickly removed the first layer of skin from his backside. His bottom was a raw mess and so very painful. The dehiscence itself was massive…18cm deep in most places in an incision that was over 60cm long, encircling 75% of his thigh. Practical questions suddenly became items for debate. Would he agree to stand at all, much less in a shower? More important, was there a shower anywhere large enough for him? What about his separately draining wounds? What health risks were there for this patient and for our staff, and what if he should fall? My heart broke for his nurse. What we were all thinking but not wanting to voice was, “Leave this one for the day shift.” Then, I heard one voice bravely say, “If we all pitch in, we could bathe him just like a shower in his bed, change his dressings, and be done by report time.” We all turned and stared in wonder. Instead of disbelief or reluctant disgust, another voice chimed in, “Yes! I think we could do it! Let’s go!” That’s all it took. Five nurses and 2 Techs converged in that young man’s room with one hope…to make a difference for everyone. Little did we know what a difference it would make in us!
Looking back now, the memory is nearly a blur. The required tasks all blended in a flurry of separate but smoothly coordinated activities, each person automatically organizing a portion of the mission according to a personal expertise. Some heated water while others gathered towels and organized linen carts near the door. A couple of nurses gently and teasingly explained the procedure to the patient turning the whole thing into an adventure and convincing him it would be the highlight of his day! Dressing supplies were gathered while his entire room was straightened and cleaned, making room for 7 of us to work unhindered. Robed from neck to knees in disposable gowns, we became ministers of purpose with laughter. We soaped, splashed, washed, dried, cleaned, packed and wrapped with supernatural speed and agility. An impossible assignment for one became the welcomed challenge for a finely tuned team…and we made this precious young man smile in the end.

It's been said, “It takes a village…” In this instance, it took one brave voice igniting compassion which fanned into flame excellence and devotion in a small group of gifted professionals. May those voices be multiplied for the benefit of all.