Perspective

This will be my 5th Christmas season working at the hospital and although I know what to expect, I still find it the most difficult and heartbreaking time of year. Like most workplaces during xmas, our hospital is decorated with festive cheer, there are boxes of chocolates, xmas treats, and radios softly play Boney M and all the xmas favorites as we work away. We try our best to emulate the excited Christmas buzz that you feel in the air when you're out in the community during this special time in year, but it's certainly not the same. As soon as you step off the elevator and onto the ward, it feels especially somber. For some patients in the hospital, this will definitely be the worst Christmas they've ever experienced and perhaps a xmas that will haunt their families for years to come.

As healthcare workers, I think that we all struggle at times to "leave work at work" and not allow the sadness to creep home with us at the end of the day. You have to. Although we've all shed a fear tears, especially during the holidays, we would go crazy if we let every diagnosis, every death affect our mood once we leave the workplace. On the other hand, as difficult as it is, I also think it is valuable to "feel" with our patients and families. It certainly puts things into perspective. For example, I stormed into work on Friday morning upset because Evan had eaten all my Lindt chocolates. The same Lindt chocolates that I was planning on giving out as gifts. His response when I called him out? "You're pretty." Seriously? That's all you got? I angrily relayed the story to my co-workers. Now I had to leave during my lunch hour to buy new chocolates. What an inconvenience! 15 minutes later, I was standing in a patient's room as he and his family received the news that he had suffered a stroke and it was evolving. "So we just have to wait and see if it disables him?" inquired the patient's wife, as she lovingly stroked her husband's hair. I nodded quietly and recalled my squabble with Evan. How silly. How lucky we are. I wanted to get in my car, cover Evan with kisses and tell him to eat as many fricken Lindt chocolates as he wants.

The holiday season at the hospital is also a time for fabulous people to shine. You catch co-workers going the extra mile this time of year to make life just a little more joyous for our patients. Last week I watched 3 nurses wheel a lonely and confused patient to the nurses desk. While they charted away, they tried their best to cheer up their patient, who was visibly upset.  As the poor old man uttered, "I'm such a bother," I saw the Nurse take his hand in hers and reply, "No you're not. We love having you around!" I've also watched my fellow therapists stand outside in the -30 degree weather to organize and determine the safest mode of transferring a patient to and from a vehicle - all so the patient can enjoy a few hours in his house on Christmas day. A lady from housekeeping took a break from sweeping the floor to fetch a glass of water for a thirsty patient - not her job; however, she was more than happy to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule. Our fabulous social worker, Gord, came into work on his day off so that he could accompany us on his guitar while we sang Christmas carols throughout the wards. It's nice to see. It restores your faith in humanity. It makes me proud to be a healthcare worker and I feel blessed to work beside so many kind, compassionate people. Keep up the good work, peops!