Emma Mitchell – My Shift That Made a Difference

In my second year as a student nurse working on an acute neurological ward. I was caring for a young gentleman who was suffering from MS and in his last weeks of life, I chatted with him and his wife about their life together, hobbies and family.

At the end of one of our conversations, he stated ‘he would love one final cigarette’ to which I responded let me take you for one. The ward entrance was direct to the outside, so off me and his wife went, pushing his bed outside for what was to be his last cigarette. However, the icing on the cake was when the bird pooed on him while he was having his last cigarette.

Oh how we laughed, he discussed how it was karma for him smoking but that perhaps it may bring him some luck.

When I brought him back to the ward, I was requested to go and see the Sister. To which I had been informed that I wasn’t following positive health promotion by enabling a patient to smoke.

So ok, not the most politically correct thing for me to do and would not promote or advocate smoking. But what I am comfortable with is that I played a part in making a dying man have one of his last wishes. Looking at the holistic picture and really showed me that nursing was not just about the illness or disease, but was about the person being at the centre.

What I didn’t tell the sister was that I gave him the cigarette, but that will be our little secret!

Emma Mitchell, Nurse.