Monday, June 11, 2012

Peds Say the Darndest Things....

I had a patient who came in with a very itchy rash over her entire body. It was a busy day and she waited with her dad for about 3 hours before being seen. She readily jumped up on the bed and pulled up her dress to show me the angry red bumps on her belly, then kicked off her black boots to show me the bottom of her feet, which had been spared.

Her little thighs were raw with scratching and I felt terrible for her long wait. I said to her, "I am so sorry that you had to wait so long to see a doctor, especially on this lovely day".

She shrugged and said, "It's okay, I know you have lots of other patients to see too!"

She was six years old.

In five years of emergency nursing and three years of medical school I've never had an adult respond with the same selfless and realistic view of the situation.

Adults of the world, take note. Children of the world, stay awesome.

4 comments:

Megan said...

i had a similar experience when i worked in the emergency department. it just makes your day!

Unknown said...

I looked after a little boy who had fallen off a riding lawnmower--his dad ran him over and amputated his foot.

The boy's father sat beside the stretcher in the tiny rural ER bawling his eyes out and the boy looked at his Dad and said "It's ok. I know it was an accident." He then asked us for a teddy bear to hold while we stabilized him for a ride to the air ambulance to the trauma center. That kid got a teddy, and the rest of us had to wipe our eyes before we could contiue working.

skyjockbill said...

Chapeau, respect to children, our living arrows.

We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

xx

ps love your writing

peace said...

This made me cry. Bless him indeed.