At night I sometimes work at a rehabilitation center which I really enjoy.
Many people think it is weird that I enjoy working night shifts since I am a person who likes to learn and do many things at the same time, and most people think that to work at night is boring. Technically it might be boring to work at night; because most patients sleep, and there are way fewer procedures to do than in the day time. Very few patients needs medicines or refilling tube feeding, and few wake up and need help to f.ex. go to the bathroom. So of course we workers have a lot of downtime we need to try to fill.
Still I think it is really nice. Why? Because I think that at night patients are at their most vulnerable and the way caregivers have to help them is in one a most respectful, helpful and calming way. I think the way we help them with different issues at night is handled in a different way then in the same situations by daytime. In the night time most patients will sleep or at least relax, so when one person rings the bell I know I have time for that one patient. I have time to walk carefully into the room without rushed movements. I have time to introduce myself properly and ask for the patients name. Then I will help the patient with whatever they wanted. Sometimes they would just ask me to shake their pillow. I know some fellow class mates that would say that is unnecessary and annoying. “Why do I have to stand up and go all the way down the hall to help someone shake their pillow? That´s not why I am studying for being a nurse!” But I think that is nice. If the patient can not shake the pillow, and is laying uncomfortably; of course it is a delight to make it nice. I always change the position of my pillow when I sleep, and I cannot think how awful it must be to not be able to do such a simple thing myself.
Plus. I often find that the patients who ask for such small gestures, are those who actually just want a conversation. After I have fluffed the pillow, or maybe just opened a window, closed a shelf or turned the clock, I always ask how they are doing. I ask if the day was fine, if they are tired, why they are not sleeping, what they are thinking about or something similar. Almost every time I get a long answer back, and when I ask if they want me to sit down next to the bed I get a huge and grateful smile. That is what always makes my day (or night…). Sometimes I would take a hand, or stroke the arm, or pat the head, depending of the patients liking, and the happy sigh I would get from them, or the warm twinkle in their eye… It is truly indescribable. My heart beats slower, my breath flows more softly and my energy levels go up.
Making other people happy in that way is what makes me feel alive. What makes me feel useful as a fellow human being. I also learn a lot because many (perhaps most) patients are older than me and have experienced extremely many different, interesting things. I usually try to look for at least one thing I can learn from each patient I meet, and in that way I also grow every day I work with patients. No matter what their diagnose is.
And to end my nights (/mornings) perfectly, I walk past this lovely road on my way home.
elfifei 