Med-Surg Nurses in the Field
This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Med-Surg Nurse Life Magazine.
What does it mean to be a “nurse in the field?” Med-surg nurses only exist in inpatient hospital units, right? Actually, not only do they exist in hospitals and clinics, but they are an integral part of our neighborhoods and communities, too. Home health nurses are caring for our patients at home with the goal of prevention. They are educating, protecting, and preventing new hospitalizations every day, every weekend, and each holiday — and they’re on call, too!
Around the time when my grandmother was given the diagnosis of chronic heart failure, she was in and out of the hospital many times for managing her symptoms. This was also the time I was in nursing school, and so, just as any bright-eyed and optimistic nursing student would do, I took it as my duty to make sure my grandma kept her feet elevated and wore her TED stockings every time I came over. I hid the salt shaker and tried convincing her to limit her water intake. I remember seeing the skin on her legs and feet looking so tight, wondering if they might burst. It pained me to see her suffer like that.
After my grandmother returned from another doctor’s appointment, she told me they were arranging for a nurse to come out to see her at her house. At the time, I didn’t know much about nurses coming to give care to patients in their homes. I remember I was skeptical and wondered how a nurse can help any more than myself, let alone the care she was already getting at all those appointments. I was in nursing school, after all, and feeling confident that I could support my grandma better than any stranger could.
But let me tell you, the day that the home health nurse came to my grandma’s house was a turning point in her health. The home health nurse, Fernanda, came in with her luggage on wheels, stuffed to the gills with fun nursing supplies, and sat down at the dining room table with my grandmother, my mother, and myself. No pressure.
Nurse Fernanda took out her laptop and began typing away as she listened to all our concerns. Then she went through a long health questionnaire, to which she seemed to simultaneously take Grandma’s vitals and complete a full physical exam. She was good. After wrapping Grandma’s legs for compression and going over the medication list, Fernanda toured the house to make sure the environment was safe from trip or slip hazards.We were all impressed with the thoroughness of the visit and how much time she spent with us.
By the end of the first visit, we learned that my grandma’s disorganized methods for taking her prescriptions were the cause of missing important doses. I guess we had just assumed she had that under control and never thought she could be taking her prescriptions wrong. Nurse Fernanda pulled out a handy pill organizer from her bag and helped my grandma go through each prescription one by one and organize them all into the pill box. Moving forward, this was a huge step for Grandma’s management of her chronic illnesses.
This home health nurse came in, seemingly from the heavens, and definitely showed me a thing or two. She left her card with her phone number on it in case we had any concerns before she returned. I noticed the credentials after her name, “RN, CMSRN.” After a quick Google search, I learned about med-surg nursing. That was when I decided it was exactly the type of nurse I wanted to become: someone who was equipped with the expertise to care for those suffering from chronic illnesses, like my grandma.
Rain or shine, snow or high winds, these nurses show up. Dedicating every day to preventing new hospitalizations and infections, managing chronic illness, drawing labs and POC testing, educating on medications and nutrition, and are overall the safety net for our vulnerable patients in the comfort of their homes. For Nurses Month 2023, let us recognize and celebrate our fellow nurses in the field throughout our country. From one nurse to another, thank you for all you do.