What do you see? As a nurse, when you look at the person in your care?
I came across this poem in the mid 80’s. As a young nurse, I was still adjusting the the impact of reality on my dream bubble about being a nurse. This poem challenged me because it touched upon some of the gritty realities of the career that I had been disillusioned about.
We can learn a lot from the perspective of another and they from ours. So truly consider nurse, what you see?
- Jot down a few notes in a journal.
- Read the poem
- Write your reply
- Submit below
What Do You See Nurse?
What do you see, nurse, what do you see?
What are you thinking when you’re looking at me?
A crabby old woman, not very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with far away eyes.
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice, “I do wish you’d try?”
Who seems not to notice the things that you do,
And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.
Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will.
With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill,
Is that what you’re thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse, you’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am as I sit here so still,
As I use at your bidding, as I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of ten with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters, who love one another.
A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon now a lover she’ll meet.
A bride soon at twenty, my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five now, I have young of my own,
Who need me to guide, and a secure happy home.
A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast,
Bound to each other with ties that should last.
At forty my young sons have grown and are gone,
But my man’s beside me to see I don’t mourn.
At fifty once more babies play around my knee,
Again we know children, my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,
I look at the future, I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing young of their own,
And I think of the years and the love that I’ve known.
I’m now an old woman and nature is cruel,
‘Tis just to make old age look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,
And now and again my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys, I remember the pain,
And I’m loving and living life over again.
I think of the years, all too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, nurses, open and see,
Not a crabby old woman, look closer – see ME!!
~author unknown
Here is the reply that I wrote then:
What do you see, Patient?
What do you see patient, what do you see?
What do you see when you look at me?
A person who’s never here when you put on your light,
A person who is hurried and preoccupied-
One who can’t get the IV in no matter how hard I’ve tried?
A person who’s dumb because the doctor said the contrare,
One who is disorganized because at shift change so much is up in the air?
I’ve got three other patients to care for too,
And then all I hear is “you didn’t come when I called, did you!
You wanted a pain pill ten minutes ago,
But I was in a code, little did you know.
You called for some water, but I did n’t come stat.
I was cleaning up an incontinence, can you believe that!
At the moment you wanted ice in your pitcher,
I was mapping a rhythm strip to check someone’s ticker-
When you called for a straw, I was feeding Mrs Sweet-
Do I get a dinner break?-
No, I have to eat on my feet.
You think I’m one who cleans bedpans and am a handmaiden for the docs?
Well, I’ll say to you patient, “Let me tell you what…”
I’m an individual, a mother, a student and a wife-
I’ve not only got responsibility here, but in my own life-
My car is broken, I’m getting over the flu, my bills aren’t paid yet and my Mother’s sick too-
My Lover and I had an argument today, but all this I must put aside to be here today.
Now that the shift’s over-
I’ve got paperwork to do-
You’ll think I’m long gone, but I’ll be here for an hour or two.
After all is done,
I realize it’s been awhile since I got to pee—
My gosh for 10 hours, I didn’t think of me!!
~BYoung RN 1984
Admin says
Found this online….
A Nurse’s Reply
What do we see, you ask, what do we see?
Yes we are thinking when looking at thee!
We may seem hard when we hurry and fuss,
But there’s many of you and too few of us.
We would like far more time to sit by you and talk,
To bathe you and feed you and help you to walk,
To hear of your lives and the things you have done;
Your childhood, your husband, your daughter, your son.
But time is against us, there’s too much to do
Patients too many and nurses too few.
We grieve when we see you so sad and alone,
With nobody near you, no friends of your own.
We feel all your pain, and know of your fear,
That nobody cares now your end is so near.
But nurses are people with feelings as well,
And when we’re together you’ll often hear tell,
Of the dearest old gran in the very end bed,
And the lovely old dad and the things that he said.
We speak with compassion and love, and feel sad,
When we think of your lives and the joy that you’ve had.
When the time has arrived for you to depart,
You leave behind an ache in our heart.
When you sleep the long sleep, no more worry or care.
There are other old people, and we must be there.
So please understand if we hurry and fuss
There are many of you, and too few of us.
Admin says
I wrote a new version. Obviously in a new relationship with the nursing career.
What Do I See Patient?
What do I see Patient,
What do I see?
When I look at you,
“Could you be me?”
You appear there;
As far as I see.
Through knowing you
Could I better know me?
What’s that feeling I have inside of me,
When you’re in pain, I want to relieve?
When you feel alone
With you I am drawn to be..
There’s a whispher, a tug,
A knowing, you see.
Despite the numbers and graphs
All looking perfectly
There is something I know, differently
Some kind of inner technology.
Some how we’re connected
Through breath or mind-
What ever it be –
It is an illusion
That we live separately.
The circle of live
Ebb and flow of energy,
A dance of the cosmos
That happens in we.
So the part in you
Is honored by the part in me
That is eternal and loving
And will never cease to be.
Brought together are we
Where calling meets need.
Two sides of the same’
Brings a bit more purpose to this game.
So can you see Patient,
That which I see?
As we both struggle
With time, money, illness – to name three-.
We must meet beyond-
Where you are me.
~ BYoung RN 2017
Admin says
Another similar poem found online, author unknown.
Cranky Old Man
What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you’re looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . … . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .’I do wish you’d try!’
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . … lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you’re thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he’ll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don’t mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. …Babies play ’round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future … . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I’ve known.
I’m now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It’s jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I’m loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. …. . ME!!