What I learn in nursing school....

I get to clinicals today and immediately decided I didn't want to be there. It's not fair that I have to be here away from my kids all day. I don't think it's fair I have to be at school, I don't think it's fair I have to do all this charting, I don't think it's fair I have to yada yada yada. All of these "not fairs"...all of these "why me's"....sighhh....
Well, fine I thought..I will go meet my patient. He is supposedly in his 30's and has mild mental retardation. I was thinking, well, he should keep me busy today! Nope. I go to say hi and introduce myself and let him know I will be his nurse today. He is fine. COMPLETELY fine! Cognitive, alert...and needs nothing. Great! I am going to be sitting around today doing .....nothing! All of this self pity!
So I decided...what the hay...I am going to follow him around and see whats going on. I followed my patient to physical therapy. I followed him to occupational therapy. And I watched him do the auto ambulator. HOURS of excruciating work for him and I watched as other patients gave up, set down, some even FELL ASLEEP! lol. Not mine! He wore a smile! Happy! Laughing! And so motivated! I could tell he hurt. You could see it behind his....smile. The therapist would ask, "would you like to keep going?". He said yes! You could tell he didn't. Push and pull, lift and stand, tug and turn. Over and over and over again. When he is done, I could tell he was in pain as I wheeled him back to his room. I asked him if he was in any pain and he stated "no". Patients never turn down pain meds! So...surprised, I asked again! He said "No". I could tell he was. When we got back to his room it was so late in the day and I really needed to get in a physical assessment...but he was SO tired! I had to do it though, so reluctantly I asked. I felt awful. He....smiled. He said "sure! gotta make sure everything's working huh?". It changed my whole perspective for the day! WOW! I'm wallowing in my self pity and this guy is such a trooper! So kind! So cooperative! It was amazing. I loved seeing him smile after such excruciating stress on his body. What if everyone was like him? This guy....whom people call "mentally retarded" has a better outlook on life then anyone I have ever met. When he's tired...he smiles. When he's in pain....he smiles. When he is alone....he smiles. When I'm tired...I complain. When I'm in pain...I complain....When I'm alone and miss my family...I complain. I am married, have 3 beautiful kids, have a chance to go to college, have all of my school paid for, have a nice enough house, and am able to eat what I want, when I want without getting sick...and I have complained about pretty much everything...my kids, husband, house, money, school, food. EVERYTHING. My patient is in his 30's, will probably never marry, never have children, never go to college, never live outside a hospital setting, and has to modify his diet depending on his blood sugar and the amount of medicine injected into his stomach. And I didn't hear him complain ONCE! I whined all day. To my teacher, to my friends. I felt like such a jerk by the end of the day! SUCH AN UNGRATEFUL BRAT.
I have learned alot in nursing school, but today I learned alot. I learned alot about what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for my husband who pulls his weight...and alot of mine, I m thankful for 3 amazingly beautiful, healthy, perfect kids. I'm thankful for the opportunity and the cognitive ability to be able to go to school and eventually get a job that will make me ALOT of money. I'm thankful for the fact that I can live in my house, not have nurses and doctors waking me up and bothering me all day long. I'm thankful I can eat what I want, when I want without any consequences. I'm SO thankful. And I'm thankful for him. I am so thankful that God put him in my path to remind me that I really don't have it that bad. I will never forget his smile. EVER. God has been so good to me and I think he knew I needed a reminder of how good I really do have it.
Some people are put on earth to do certain things, and he was definately put here to shine his sunshine on everyone that meets him!
In nursing school I expect to learn about medications, sicknesses, IV's, catheters, Naso=gastric tubes, bowel programs....these are all skills we have to do in clinicals. But what I learned today, this is definately not what I thought i'd learn in nursing school.