The Smallest Action Makes the Biggest Impact 

Before beginning my first clinical, I was absolutely terrified. I did not know what to expect and I was so afraid of the endless possibilities that could happen. Most of these fears were trivial things, such as a patient not liking me, and that thought would make me spiral into contemplating whether or not I would be a good nurse. I don’t know why that was my biggest fear going into it, but for some reason I was so caught up on worrying if every patient I interacted with liked me. My fears were immediately relieved when I had not only one of the best patient interactions, but just one of the best human interactions. This was my first ever patient experience, and one that I will never forget. I worked with this patient for two weeks and was able to see remarkable progress after they suffered from a stroke. The dedication this individual had was inspiring and was amazing to witness even for the short time I was there. We shared some of the best conversations and bonded over our coffee addiction and love for crime TV. Something I will always remember about this individual is how grateful and appreciative they were, even for the smallest things that most people don’t even bat an eye for. The fact that they were so full of life and appreciative even for the smallest things, despite the suffering and pain this patient had endured was so heart-warming and amazing to witness. I was performing an assessment on the patient, when in the middle I was stopped by the patient who said, “I like you. You make it better here. Thank you.”  I realized in that moment, that even the smallest actions can make the biggest impact on someone. Even just by getting a glass of water, or spending time talking to an individual, things you might not even think twice about, can completely brighten up someone’s day or life. This interaction also made me reflect on how grateful I am for the people and experiences I have in my own life. And I am beyond grateful I was able to have this experience with such an inspiring individual who I will always be able to remember as my first ever patient.