Hello everyone! Today, I want to share with you the most genuine emotions I experience in my work. Many people think that a physical examination center is just about checking items, following procedures, and issuing reports, and that efficiency and speed are all that matter. However, after truly getting close to each and every client, I realized that we are never dealing with a string of cold examination numbers or a set of boring medical indicators. Instead, we are dealing with living individuals who have emotions, worries, and stories.
I want to share a true story with you all. The protagonist of the story is Chen Jing. Due to her exhausting work and long-term sub-optimal health, she came to our center specifically for a comprehensive physical examination. Initially, all routine examinations went smoothly. Towards the end of the routine tests, her exhaustion from the past few days suddenly worsened her discomfort in her waist, causing unbearable pain that came in waves. She took the initiative to approach us and requested to add a special lumbar MRI examination. We immediately coordinated and arranged for it. Just as the morning's physical examination was coming to a close, while we were patrolling the MRI waiting area, I inadvertently noticed Chen Jing curled up alone in a corner, looking downcast and restless. Her hands were tightly clenched together, and her body was shaking uncontrollably, looking extremely uncomfortable.
I immediately stepped forward and asked softly. It was only then that she spoke in a tearful and difficult voice, revealing the condition she had been concealing all along: she had a severe claustrophobia. "As soon as I go in, I feel panicky, chest tight, and can't breathe. I'm really scared. I'm afraid I won't be able to come out once I go in..." Her words were filled with anxiety, inferiority, and helplessness. Before she finished speaking, tears had already fallen down her cheeks.
I immediately guided her to a well-ventilated and spacious rest area, patiently listened to her inner feelings, and gently walked up to her, firmly holding her hand, saying to her, "I completely understand how you feel. Many people experience this. Don't feel embarrassed, don't force yourself. We'll take it slow. If you feel uncomfortable, you can stop at any time. I'll always be here." At that moment, I didn't urge her, didn't persuade her to "just endure it and it will pass," and certainly didn't treat her like an "uncooperative" client.
Considering her persistent lumbar pain, coupled with intense emotional stress, I informed Chen Jing that our hospital has a specialized pain department. For her lumbar somatic pain, as well as the psychological discomfort caused by claustrophobia, we can collaborate with the pain department to tailor a personalized examination for her. By precisely regulating and setting an appropriate analgesic dosage, we can not only effectively alleviate her physical pain but also calm her negative emotions such as tension, fear, and anxiety.
After listening to my explanation and patient guidance, Chen Jing gradually calmed down, and her eyes showed a sense of reassurance and determination. She immediately expressed her willingness to trust us and bravely try this comfortable examination plan. We immediately contacted the pain department to assess her and determine the examination plan. Director Zhang of the pain department slowly squatted in front of her, putting aside all her haste and seriousness, and earnestly told her, "This is not your fault. Claustrophobia is not timidity, just like someone who is afraid of heights or the dark. There is no right or wrong. It's not that you are not strong. You have been brave enough to come to the hospital and try. That's enough. The analgesia pump will help you gently. It won't make you lose consciousness. You can hear us talking, and we will chat with you all the time, telling you what we are doing at each step. It won't let you fall into darkness and loneliness." Director Zhang explained in detail, personally connecting the analgesia pump for her, gently guiding her breathing, and the medication slowly flowing, so that she would no longer feel the psychological burden due to physical discomfort.
Through the glass of the examination room, we constantly monitored her condition. In moments when fear struck, we promptly provided a firm yet warm response, offering encouragement and reassurance, giving her the courage to confront her fears. Finally, with everyone's companionship and protection, the examination was successfully completed. The machine stopped operating, the examination bed slowly moved out, and Chen Jing slowly opened her eyes. Although her waist still hurt, her face wore a sense of relief after a narrow escape. Tears once again fell, but they were tears of joy and emotion.
She told us that before coming, she had actually prepared for the worst: either giving up the examination or bravely pushing through it, most likely collapsing halfway. She never thought that an ordinary physical examination could receive such meticulous care. She said that when she had similar examinations in the past, she was either urged or told to be "brave", and no one had ever really cared about how scared she was. But today, someone cared about whether she felt pain, someone understood whether she was scared, and someone was willing to stop and wait. When she walked out of the examination room, her eyes were still red, but she wore a relieved smile and choked up as she said to us, "Thank you for treating my pain while protecting my fear. I never knew that a physical examination could be so warm." These words, like a beam of light, shone in my heart. For the nurses in the health management center, narrative nursing has never been a profound theory, but an action that falls into every detail:
It is a timely and gentle comfort when the customer is nervous and uneasy;
When a client experiences physical pain, proactively coordinate with relevant departments and provide professional care;
It is a steadfast and unwavering companionship when customers feel fearful and helpless;
Physical examination is the starting point of safeguarding health. And we, standing at this starting point, are the guardians. Some may ask, is it worthwhile to repeat and do trivial work every day? I would like to say that when clients go from nervousness and fear to relaxation and peace of mind, from hesitation and retreat to bravely facing challenges, when they hold our hands and sincerely say "thank you", when they leave with warmth and trust, all our efforts gain the most precious significance. In the future, I will continue to carry the original intention of narrative nursing, using our insignificant yet steadfast light to warm every client who comes for a physical examination. Nursing has warmth, and service has strength. May we all, in our ordinary positions, safeguard every health expectation and warm every medical journey!
Article/Voiceover: Yuan Xing
Editor: Ma Shiyu
First instance: Huang Guifang
Second instance: Jiang Bei