Tracy - A Witness to Injustice

Tracy -







When I tell people I work in a burn center, most of them cringe and say, “I could never do that.” But really, it just takes an ability to see past all the bad things. These people come to us in such bad shape, but we can get them to a point where they’re better. A lot of other units have these ups and downs, in which people are sick, then get better, and then get sicker again; but in the burn unit, we mostly start at the worst moment and move up from there.

It takes a toll. We have a high turnover rate because it takes such a physical and emotional toll. A lot of people get depleted quite quickly, because they don’t realize how much it’s going to take out of them and they don’t last very long. One day I was taking it hard and I asked myself, “Why am I still doing this?” I think I’m one of those people who are just cut out for this kind of nursing and I don’t think I’ll ever go anywhere else. I don’t see myself ever wanting to do anything different – maybe something in addition to it, but not ever giving up my burn unit, as I call it.

The ultimate motivation for me to continue what I’m doing is passion for what I do - I love my job. Speeding one patient’s recovery is enough motivation to keep me going for months, because it is so rewarding to see somebody go from such a low point to full recovery.

Our patients’ circumstances can be so terrible, it’s hard to hear. Sometimes these are criminal assault cases and high profile so I won’t say too much. One patient who was already in a wheelchair had been assaulted. He was with us for over 10 months and we learned he had always taken great pride in his appearance. So in the process of trying to save his life and heal his skin, we also wanted to give him a body image that would help him maintain his appearance and standard of living.

After three and a half months, we had gotten to a point where he was ready go to a rehabilitation facility.“I’m an educator … I’m a counselor … I’m a friend … I’m an advocate … I’m a coordinator of care. But I also serve as a witness to the terrible injustice that is sometimes done to people.” His skin was healed and he was doing well. But then he choked on some food, contracted aspirational pneumonia and began a downward spiral in his recovery. At that point, the burn care was really minimal because skin-wise he was nearly healed. But he was so sick he almost died. We had never cared for somebody so close to dying. And now, against the odds, he has again made a full recovery. He says, being that close to death – twice – and making it through has made him feel like there is a purpose for him in this world, but sometimes he doesn’t know how the purpose could be worth it.

My experience with that patient made me more aware of the different roles I play as a nurse. I’m an educator, educating people on what has happened to them and what is going to happen. I’m a counselor. I’m a friend. I’m an advocate. I’m a coordinator of care. But I also serve as a witness to the terrible injustice that is sometimes done to people.

It feels soul-robbing at some times. But the same situation can give you hope about the nature of humankind and our survivability in the worst of circumstances. It also just reminds you of your complete mortality because we have all these things, like hot water and fire, that are meant for so much good and yet they can cause so much suffering to innocent people. When you’ve seen some of the things I’ve seen, you’ll never look at a fireplace the same way again.

Those of us who are caring for patients need to broaden our perspective. Meet with the administrators who make the decisions affecting patient care, and our ability to deliver that care and tell them how it is. They need to hear from us so they know what our patients need. Nurses should be out in the community as well, educating, sharing knowledge and explaining what people need to do to remain healthy. Until it personally affects them, most people aren’t aware of what it’s like being in the healthcare system. I think nurses could change that.

I’m strongly committed to maintaining an impervious standard of exceptional care for patients. Sometimes, I see people who are willing to let go of our standard because of financial pressures or because they are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. We need to be there for each other, I don’t ever want to quit on that. That’s always number one with me.

Power Strategies: Humanity, Achievement, Dedication
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