This picture is not from our hospital.  I am using it from the Internet to illustrate a typical hallway that I encounter when in the hospital.  You see both staff and patients in the hallway.  Today I was asked, “Will it make any difference if you visit patients today?”

To give you the context for this question you need to realize that on Wednesday and Thursday I was occupied with hospice patients and other departmental duties and did not visit any patients in the hospital either day.  It was suggested that I not work today, but I felt I had to work at least half a day because Tuesday had been the most recent day rounding took place on my units.  In looking at the census list there were many patients who had been admitted since I was last on the units.  I wondered what their situations were and if they would value my visit.

Here is a snapshot listing of the situations I encountered:

• 20 Family members in a CVU waiting room waiting while the patient was in surgery.
• 1 woman who has been primary caregiver for her mother who is on hospice.  The caregiver is now an inpatient herself and feels badly she can’t assist in her mother’s care.
• 2 staff members who wanted me to listen to concerns they have in their personal lives.
• 1 patient who was having a pacemaker placed and wanted a prayer prior to the procedure.  This patient is the mother of one of the staff members on one of my units.
• 2 people that have a strong faith but were lonely and wanted someone to talk with and to pray for them.

I ended my shift feeling that I had been “in the right place at the right time” to make a positive difference in the lives of these individuals.  I don’t have a measurement device to show the difference between how they felt when I was there and how they would have felt had I not been there.  But from their body language and conversation content I know my presence was valued.  I know the visits were able to reduce stress, reduce loneliness, increase hope, and continue to build the relationships I have with staff.

Was it time well spent?  My answer is an emphatic YES!!!!!!!!!!