Item 8. HOW NURSES MAKE LOVE

Now based on the title, if you were expecting something x-rated, then you have a dirty mind (or maybe I was just trying to get your attention). Actually, this probably should have been titled “How Nurses Make Love of Service Complete.” Let me explain. Through most of my life I have not needed to go to a hospital. My experience with nurses was limited to the doctor’s office or out-patient scene. For the most part, they gave shots, administered x-rays and scans, collected body readings, and kept records. But in the curing of diseases, nurses do much more, particularly in the psychological and communication areas. In that sense, their “love of service is complete,” as the title implies. Their love is comprehensive and deals with the soul as well as with the body. We have seen a nurse tell the patient all of the steps that had to occur. “Do you understand or have any questions?” she’d say. “No questions; I understand” said the patient. The nurse paused and then said, “You’re worried aren’t you?” The patient admitted it. She then explained why there was no reason to worry. And then a big hug. And as we walked out the door and down the hallway, a couple more hugs. Or there’s the little lecture we got on how to survive chemo. “Just relax, try to change locations and go somewhere that’s safe and simple. Change your thoughts. Deep breathing,” the nurse said. No matter how busy she was, this comforting came first. Finally, there was the time when Marilyn had to go for her first Pets Scan. The nurse was probably busy but she decided to hold her hand during the prep period. This is something that doesn’t happen often, so she didn’t have to hold Marilyn’s hand; she just wanted to. And it really helped.