Nurses - The "daughter-in-law of a hundred families"

Every day, nurses go to each room to give injections, IVs, and instruct patients on how to take medicine.

Sleepless nights with the sick

With over 20 years of experience in the profession, the job of nurse Truong Thi Ngát, Department of Emergency Resuscitation, Kien Xuong General Hospital is to receive patients, guide relatives through hospital admission procedures, provide infusions and special care for seriously ill patients, and make medical records... Patients in the Department of Emergency Resuscitation are mainly seriously ill patients, admitted to the emergency room with difficulty breathing, heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, stroke... Among these patients, many need to have their vital signs closely monitored and receive comprehensive care. The job involves facing many stressful situations, requiring nurses to be professional, calm, and able to work under high pressure, making quick and accurate decisions to save patients' lives and help them overcome critical stages.

Nurse Truong Thi Ngát shared: In more than 20 years of working in the profession, I have worked in the Emergency Resuscitation Department for 13 years. The department has 3 doctors and 5 nurses, but sometimes they have to take care of and treat 35 patients. Taking care of and treating patients is often difficult, but emergency patients are even more difficult and stressful. During their shift, sometimes medical staff have to stay up all night to monitor the patient's condition so that they can handle it promptly when the patient becomes seriously ill. Depending on the condition of each patient, nurses have to do the work of suctioning sputum, suctioning fluid, providing emergency care when the patient has difficulty breathing, and coordinating with doctors to carry out medical orders...

Although not often faced with fragile cases between life and death, the work of nurse Nguyen Thi Hong Van, Department of Internal Medicine I, Thai Binh Lung Hospital has its own difficulties, hardships and characteristics. Nurse Nguyen Thi Hong Van shared: In 25 years of working in the profession, I have worked in many departments and rooms in the hospital. The work in each position has different difficulties and pressures. During my work, I have encountered many patients with severe progression, drug allergies, drug side effects, anaphylactic shock or hemoptysis (a condition that develops suddenly, as fast as a lightning strike, blood can spurt out uncontrollably). At that time, the nurse must constantly be by the patient's side, closely monitor the progression to handle it immediately. Working in a stressful environment, treating infectious diseases with a high risk of infection due to frequent contact with the source of infection; A nurse has to take care of 6-8 patients/day but we always try our best for the health of the patients.

Nurses at Thai Binh Mental Hospital take care of patients.

Sadness, joy in the profession

Along with professional tasks such as infusion, instructing patients to take medicine..., for seriously ill patients requiring special care, eating, sleeping, hygiene, bathing, and shampooing are all performed by nurses to reduce the risk of infection, ensuring a clean and quiet environment for patients. However, just a small mistake at any stage will cost the patient's health, even their life. Although it is difficult and stressful, each case that is saved, each patient who is cured, has their health stabilized, and receives gratitude and understanding from the patient's family about their daily work is a joy and a great source of motivation for medical staff.

Ms. Truong Thi Luu, Kien Xuong town (Kien Xuong) said: Having a family member in the hospital, I can see the hardships of the medical profession. They have to take care of many patients, sometimes the patients' families call continuously, but the doctors and nurses are still very friendly, enthusiastic, always accompanying and ready to serve the patients.

Not only are the nursing staff struggling professionally, they also have to face invisible pressure from patients' families. During their work, many doctors and nurses have been scolded, threatened, and even "physically impacted" by patients and their families. Nurse Nguyen Thi Hong Van shared: Each patient has a different condition and personality. Therefore, those who "serve a hundred families" like us must be tactful and behave harmoniously in communication. During the care process, we must respond according to the patient's personality. However, I myself have been overreacted and scolded by patients several times, even though I only gently reminded them when they coughed or coughed up phlegm to ensure hygiene to avoid infecting others.

In the emergency department, which is considered a "hot" area of the hospital due to the large number of patients, many of whom are seriously ill, the stressful and pressured work, it is not uncommon for patients' families to attempt to attack and scold them. Nurse Truong Thi Ngát once had to be pressured by a patient's family. Nurse Truong Thi Ngát said: When there are many patients, we have to screen, classify, and prioritize emergency treatment for seriously ill patients. However, many people think that their family members are more seriously ill and should be treated first. Therefore, some people reacted harshly, some even used wooden chairs to attack doctors and medical staff in the department. This makes us very sad because patients and their families do not understand or sympathize with the pressure that doctors and nurses have to go through.

The battle to save a patient's life is always full of pressure and tension. No one wants their patient to get worse or fall into the worst condition. Therefore, in any battle, with the responsibility of a physician, doctors and medical staff try their best to save the patient's life. There are battles where doctors and medical staff are the winners, but there are also battles where they are the losers. They really hope to receive sharing, understanding and trust from patients and their families to have more motivation to stick with the profession and fulfill their responsibilities as physicians.