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May Templo - one of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York's 2,100 registered and advanced practice nurses came to VNSNY two years ago after five years of cardiac care duty in a hospital. Two of her in-laws, both VNSNY physical therapists, encouraged her to consider home health care with VNSNY.
It's hard to put into words why I care. It's personal. It's about what you can do for others, not what they can do for you. I like to see my patients get better, to see them make progress. I like to make a difference, to feel like I'm accomplishing something. My patients say I'm energetic. I do have a lot of exuberance. It's a job to go to work.
My mom's a nurse. I'm following in her footsteps. VNSNY nurses become advocates for the patients. If a new case is complicated, say a diabetic is not compliant with his diet, I will have a case conference with a doctor, my nurse manager, and one of our diabetes clinical nurse specialists to develop a plan of care that meets the patient's needs. At VNSNY, the nurse is the coordinator of care. I have abundant resources a phone call away. If a patient needs a physical therapist or a social worker, I can arrange for it.
Sometimes the patients are so cut off from the outside world. They look forward to my visits. Its not just clinically good for us to be there, it's emotionally good. I'm a good listener. It helps the patients to have somebody listening to them and their concerns, not just talking at them. I've discovered that VNSNY nurses make a lasting impression in their patients' lives.
The hardest part of the job is discharging patients. You're in their homes. You become involved in their lives. When I come in, they're glad to see me - "Oh, good you're here." When I leave, it's "Bundle up. Where's your scarf? Cover your head." | 