Had a patient a few months back, rough admission, long stay, I had him a lot of nights because nobody else wanted the 3am call light marathon. Honestly I didn't think he even knew who I was half the time, he was pretty out of it.
Today his daughter came up to the unit with a card and asked for me by name. Said he talks about the night nurse who sat with him when he couldn't sleep and told him dumb stories about her dog. He's home now. Walking to the mailbox. That's it, that was the whole update, and I had to go stand in the clean utility room for a minute.
I've been so close to leaving bedside this year. Like actively looking. This doesn't fix staffing or pay or any of it. But I don't know, it counts for something right? How do you all hold onto these when the next shift is garbage again?