What can nurses do to better help you?

I think the best thing a nurse can do is treat us all like human beings and not just a patient. We are more than our disease and we may just want to talk about things that have nothing to do with being sick. I remember when I had my bone marrow biopsy we had rock and roll christmas music going and we were talking about how we would celebrate the holiday. I don't think we talked about the biopsy once while I was in the middle of it, including my doctor. It was great I felt real, human not like a patient. It made the experience more personal and not as scarey. Just remember we all have our own personalities and some may be easier going than others, but with humor and kindness we all react the same. Human

Kitchell said:

Thank you so much for your insight. If I were in your "shoes" I know I would feel the same way. That is how we feel anyway, in life, before illness happens. Right? Thank you. I will do that. Best of everything to you! If you have questions of me, just ask. K?

I definitely agree with Stepet.....I had the best oncology nurse. She did not treat me like a patient, we became friends. That's the best approach,,,,I know you can't be friends with everyone but you can develop some kind of relationship with the person. Just be compassionate and imagine if you were in that person's shoes--treat them how you would want to be treated if you were in their situation.

All I know is that my dads oncologist nurse is amazing. She treats my dad like he's family. He opens up to her, just a little conversation with a nurse makes you feel a whole lot better. I think people like to be asked how are you feeling it gives them a chance to express themselves. Being a nurse takes a special kind of person. My dads nurse is very upbeat and positive and that reflects on my dad. She's always telling how great he's doing and that he's her best patient. I think mental is 1/2 the battle to fighting cancer, nurses have a great impact on there patients. I think they look forward to seeing you more than anything, because they are treated so special and nurses make you feel better, especially in the oncology field. Good Luck

I have had issues with nurses for many years before I became ill. It goes way back to when my son was in the hospital for kidney problems and later difficulties with his asthma.
In general, the ones I have had the most problems with did not listen to me or were so rigid in following the "rules" that caused problems where they didn't need to.
For example, they would wake up my kids to give them their scheduled medicine. If they had told my husband and I that they were planning to do that, we could have kept our child awake or worked out a better time frame to do it. Instead, they had to wake up our sleep-deprived child in order to give them the medicine.
Another instance came when my son was in the hospital and was dehydrated. He had thrown up for 15 hours straight. They gave him an IV and instructed the staff to not give him fluids so his stomach could rest, unless he specifically asked for something to drink. I left the room and came back and found that they had given him a big glass of water. While I was arguing with them about that, he threw up all over the bed and himself. I then had to call the doctor to remind the staff not to give him any more fluids as they had promised to be back in a half an hour to try again.
Lastly, in another example of what not to do, I had a nurse friend who cautioned me not to take a specific medicine during my cancer treatment. It was for nausea and was potentially an addictive substance. I listened to her fear and did not take the medicine as often. I was miserable.
I know that these people probably meant well, but either did not really think out what their actions would do, or they allowed their own personal concerns and beliefs influence them, which was not good for the patient.
I feel that for nurses to do their job and deal with doctors (which is not an easy thing, I know) they need to be emotionally and mentally present with a patient. They need to find a balance between what is required medically with where the patient is psychologically.
The nurses I had while I was going through chemo were awesome. I know that they are typically different than other nurses and I didn't expect it to be such a wonderful change.
They did not argue with me when I was not cooperative or speak down to me. They treated me with respect, because it was my body that we were dealing with. They also left whatever personal differences they had with each other for when I wasn't around. I say that because I never saw a disagreement or reluctance to work with each other. They were always cheerful and took the time to answer any question or concern I had. And they let me be who I was and have whatever feelings I was having.
I think you should check out a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. It is the one that is called Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul. There are many stories on people and the ones around them surviving cancer, but there is also an important article toward the end of the book for nurses. It speaks of the very thing you are looking for.
Thanks for asking your question. I think you will have a long and successful career and I wish you well with it.