When It's Good, It's Good

Working at the hospital is tough work. There's a lot of lifting to do, convincing people to get up who don't want to, cleaning up messes that most of us take for granted with a quick swipe of toilet paper a couple times a day. And I probably complain a fair amount about having to go to work on the weekend. But when it's good, it's good. Though those special moments may be few and far in between the less pleasant clean up moments, when the special moments happen, they can bring tears to my eyes. I can't really describe what makes these moments so great. Maybe it's the sheer simplicity of a patient being able to accomplish some of the most ordinary tasks that many of us take for granted: being able to feel the cool fall air on their skin, being able to stand up for the first time after a car accident, or even being able to roll in bed and scoot around.

I do a lot of passive range of motion on patients in the intensive care unit, and I often wonder what that patient is really like as a person. Who's hiding inside that outer shell of a person? What did they do in life? What were their hopes and dreams? Do they know what's happening to them? And then I may be able to get something as simple as a voluntary hand squeeze or toe wiggle, and this is such a huge accomplishment for them. So, even though I do more than my fair share of complaining, I think deep down I really do appreciate the opportunity to center myself, and re-calibrate my views on how amazing simple accomplishments can be if we take the time to appreciate them.