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My First “Hello” and “Goodbye” as a Nurse
Holding my first patient’s hand as he passed into the next life
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My final semester of nursing school was an internship in the least desirable unit of the hospital: the Step-Down Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
No one wanted to be assigned to this unit. It was where patients went when they weren’t critical enough for the ICU but weren’t stable enough for a regular floor. They were the ones who might make it through the night but needed more care than a standard nursing load could handle.
Most units had nursing assistants (CNAs), but nurses in the Step-Down Unit did their own CNA work, the dirty work, as well as intensive nursing care. I wasn’t looking forward to the placement but knew I could power through the few remaining months until graduation.
The nurse I was assigned to ended up being fantastic. A hidden gem amongst a floor of chaos. She was a tiny woman with a short stature but a large presence. She had a country twang that could be heard well across the unit.
On my first morning with her, she introduced me to my first patient: an elderly man in his 90s. He was a sweetheart of a man, and I enjoyed listening to his stories. He told me about his…
