I am on duty. I have three more companions with me because we have several patients tonight. We’re on a retirement home. There are many elders with relatives that don’t see for them, they only send money for their expenses and then come once a year.
Julia is an 82-year-old woman. Apart from being very poorly trained to meet many of her needs and constantly in need of help she has pneumonia. She went out into the garden the other day and fell asleep while looking at the squirrels. She walks very slowly and when it started to rain she got soaked, thankfully we found her a wheelchair before she could get more soaked. After 5 days, she developed pneumonia and the doctor prescribed antibiotics through the IV.
Nobody visits Julia, I realized this because I had read in her story that she needs help from the staff because her relatives live far away and can only come over once a year, on Mother's Day.
I carry out her treatment, prepared her solution and added the medicine. It was midnight and I made sure that Julia properly received her treatment and then rested… and rest she did.
In the morning when I saw Julia again she was being assessed by the doctor; the nurse who treated her at 6 in the morning found her without vital signs, dead.
There’s nothing we can do at that moment, all that remains is to call their relatives to make sure they come to bury Julia.
Months pass and they call me again, but now I'm on call at the mental hospital. My friend has a party somewhere and asks me to cover her shift. I don't know the patients so upon arrival I read their medical records.
Carmen is a 70 year old woman. She has a manic depressive picture and she is being treated with medications since this time her condition got her out of control, to the point that she was about to kill her eldest daughter. In a discussion, Mrs. Carmen presented a crisis that warranted being hospitalized and treated with intravenous medications.
I have to comply with the medication the patients need on the night shift. Carmen is asleep and doesn't answer me while I'm talking to her. I give her medication to her and leave, I hope she keeps resting.
In the morning when I have to retire they inform me that when they went to see Carmen she was not breathing and when she checked she had no vital signs. Apparently she went into cardiac arrest while sleeping.
That’s too bad, but at least Carmen won't have any more psychotic episodes.
Today I am working in the children's hospital. There’s few staff and many hospitalized patients. I try to read their medical records as quickly as I can.
I come across the story of Saín. He received many burns after the kitchen of his home exploded. Apparently he is the youngest child and was home alone so he decided to cook his own food… and then that happened. He was fatherless and his mother was an alcoholic, there are not many people who care about him, he is only 9 years old and already has so many problems.
He receives intravenous medication and many antibiotics. His wounds have been contaminated and his life is at stake.
I complete his medication at 12 pm. I speak to him and he does not answer, it’s done, treatment finished. You’ll rest better now.
I'm leaving. It's late and I have to go home, when I walk down the hall where I can see Saín's bed… it’s empty.
I'm glad to work the night shift. I can go to many places where my services are needed. I have many years caring for patients from many places and patients with very severe diagnoses that compromise their life. Their relatives don’t take care of them, they need my help and they don't know it, especially patients with so many complications that they need rest, so I see to that, that they rest in peace.
I wonder if calling herself an angel would be for the best when she isn't one to judge their faiths but if they were neglected and were to eventually face a more severe fate latr on ;;-;; then I'm torn ;;-;;