How Do You Thank A Nurse?
Frequently, patients and family members will ask me “how do I thank a nurse who went above and beyond for me?”. My response is sometimes too simple for them to appreciate, though. I tell them to be kind and say “Thank you, you’re doing a good job”. That is really all it takes to make our day. See, we hear from management all the ways we can improve, we hear from Physicians how we aren’t being fast enough with things we can’t always control or missed something important, we hear from patients that something isn’t up to their expectations, our friends and families tell us we aren’t there enough or that the hospital comes first.
All these things, which we try not to take personally, still affect us. When we get to hear someone tell us we are doing a good job, it offsets all the negative, reminds us that we are doing SOME good. Obviously, we aren’t perfect and need to hear constructive criticism. However, if you’re thinking about saying something to a nurse about being really helpful or particularly great at something, I hope you tell them. Please, tell them. He or she probably needs to hear your uplifting words more than you realize!
