One early morning I came to Mrs. A’s room to say goodbye to her, because she was leaving to go to a nursing home after breakfast. I smiled at her and hugged her. She told me “Mary, I love your beautiful smile. Every time when you smile at me, I feel better”. My heart was touched by her words, but I was surprised because I did not know my smile could make her feel better. If I had known it, I might have smiled at her more.
In 2008, Hardy identified the potential for patients to feel isolated as being “invisible”, but simply an acknowledgement or a smile can make a big difference. Even though we deal with many challenges in daily practice and feel tired, for the sake of giving better care to patients, let’s smile more!
Hardy, j. (2008). A comforting presence. Nursing Standard, 23(6), 61. Retrieved October 26, 2008, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source database.
2 comments:
I totally agree with you...a smiling nurse definitely makes a big difference to our patients' lives. Before learning all those nursing theories, nurses should start their education by learning the importance of smile.
Smiles are contagious, and I think we are too task orientated and we forget to share the most inexpensive gift of life. Mary, you have all the best qualities of a nurse. You are calm, sensitive and a smile is come natural for you. keep up the excellent personality.
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