We had a young patient that was on our progressive care unit for several weeks. During this time, she was very challenging, frequently angry and yelling at staff and physicians. One morning, I came in and Laura was creating a sign. I asked her about it and she told me this was going to be the first day of her dialysis and that she was really scared. Over the past couple of weeks Laura had spent time with the patient discussing her fears and concerns. She saw past her anger and realized she was just scared. She comforted her and provided her the support she needed to get through this challenging time. I rounded on the patient and she told me without Laura she would have not gone thru with dialysis.
The sign that Laura created said: "Today a journey starts, I will make it because I am strong, beautiful and kind. I captured the heart of my nurse and that will make me make it through the end."