Emotional care of patients in life and death moments

Happy to see the patient recover

At the International Nurses Day celebration (May 12), organized by K Hospital, nurse Bui Van Quyen shared that up to now, he has been working with seriously ill patients for 17 years, requiring intensive care. Many people say that entering the Intensive Care Unit for seriously ill patients is "nine parts death, one part life", so the medical care is especially meticulous.

"Although it is hard work, the recovery of patients is the most worthy reward for medical staff, including us nurses," Mr. Quyen shared.

Nurses take care of patients at the Intensive Care Unit, K Hospital (Photo: Tran Manh).

Sharing about his daily work, Mr. Quyen said that every day he takes care of patients on ventilators, dialysis, hypothermia patients... so the care needs to be meticulous, careful and close.

Especially when taking care of patients in intensive care for cancer patients, especially those with terminal cancer, doctors and nurses not only provide medical care, but also must be psychological counselors for the patient's family.

"Cancer patients after chemotherapy and radiotherapy are physically and mentally exhausted. We sympathize with the patients and only focus on our best expertise to provide the best care for them," said nurse Quyen.

Mr. Quyen shared that being by the patient's side during life and death moments, he was very emotional (Photo: Tran Manh).

He said that in his daily work, he witnessed many near-death moments. Among them, the case of a healthy 17-year-old boy who suddenly had a cardiac arrest in his rented room while taking care of his family members is something he will never forget.

The young man suddenly went into cardiac arrest in his rented room. He was taken to K Hospital, where doctors performed CPR for about an hour until his heart started beating again. He was then transferred to Bach Mai Hospital to have a pacemaker inserted.

When the young man returned and met the doctors and nurses, his eyes were filled with emotion, seeing a person who he thought had passed away now standing there healthy. "That was the joy and pride of the Intensive Care Unit," said Mr. Quyen.

According to Mr. Quyen, this is a very lucky case because normally for patients whose circulation stops for 1 hour, the chance of survival is very low. But then the patient returned to normal health.

Or there are cases where patients, before being intubated, want to tell their family a few things because they are afraid that they will never wake up again, which also makes medical professionals emotional.

The case of little Hai An also made Mr. Quyen remember forever. The child had terminal cancer, was in the intensive care unit, and her chances of survival were gradually fading. Her mother whispered to her, and then the two of them made the noble decision to donate their corneas to bring light to the blind.

Mr. Quyen shared that after decades of working as a nurse, he realized that the most important thing for a nurse is to love the job. Second, don't feel guilty. When you see a patient coming to the hospital, you only care about the doctor, while the nurse is the one who has the most contact with the patient, from morning to night, monitoring the patient's condition to promptly detect abnormalities and report to the doctor.

"Many people will feel self-conscious and inferior, but I think that in order to care for and treat patients, each person plays an indispensable role. If any link is missing, it will affect the entire treatment process," said Mr. Quyen.

During the treatment of patients, he often encountered patients' relatives insulting him, speaking loudly, and using uncontrolled words. But as a medical staff, he could only explain the technical issues so that the patient's relatives could understand.

"There are cases where a patient has a pulmonary embolism, which is almost impossible for doctors to predict. Family members wonder why their father, who was healthy, has difficulty breathing and needs emergency care, and it's easy to get upset," said nurse Quyen.

Small job but big meaning

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Hong has 28 years of experience as a nurse, most recently working as a neurosurgery nurse.

According to nurse Hong, with the characteristics of cancer patients, nurses must monitor the use of chemicals, monitor developments related to chemicals, post-surgery developments, and closely monitor the patient's progress.

"The patient may suddenly change consciousness, if given timely emergency care, the chance of survival will be higher. Or when the patient has a seizure, the patient's family often does not know what to do. With good nursing care, the patient recovers very quickly, without complications," nurse Hong shared.

Nurse Hong visits a patient after surgery (Photo: Tran Manh).

Nurse Hong also assessed that the coordination between nurses and doctors is very important in the process of caring for patients. In case the patient has a bad development, the nurse does not promptly detect and notify the doctor early, the patient's condition will be severe, the chance of survival will be greatly reduced.

"Therefore, even though the job and position are very small, when I can do it, I feel the great meaning in my work," Ms. Hong shared.

According to the Ministry of Health , nurses are recognized as highly independent practitioners, playing a key role in health care and strengthening the health system.

With a population of more than 100 million people, Vietnam needs about 260,000 nurses, but currently has only 150,000, leading to a shortage of human resources in the industry.

According to the Ministry of Health, the 2023 revised Law on Medical Examination and Treatment stipulates for the first time that nurses are highly independent practitioners, affirming their central role in patient care and promoting a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care model.

The World Health Organization report affirms that nursing is a vital part of the health system. In Vietnam, nurses account for 60-70% of the workforce in health facilities and are the force that is most closely associated with patients throughout the treatment process.

May 12 is chosen as International Nurses Day every year to honor the irreplaceable contributions of this team.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/xuc-dong-cham-soc-nguoi-benh-nhung-giay-phut-sinh-tu-20250512102111158.htm