I discovered through writing, the impact of a nurse's role as a teacher. All too often, patients are unaware of the cause, treatment and prognosis of their illness. It is our job as nurses, to inform and teach our patients in order to foster a relationship and ease their minds. As a novice, teaching was an area of growth for me and thanks to two of my patients, I was able to see its importance. Teaching is just one of the ways nurses can build relationships with their patients and it is vital that we use this to our advantage. I decided to write the first poem after I'd had a difficult time with one particular patient. It allowed me to see the situation from the patient's view and to truly empathize with them. I began to see the impact that our knowledge and skill can have on a patient. After writing the first poem, I began to improve in this area and was able to use my ability with another patient later on. I wrote the second poem so that I could evaluate my progress as well as my impact on my patient. After writing the second poem, I began to see how much a nurse can affect a patient and a patient can affect a nurse. The relationships that patients and nurse build are unique and special. It is imperative to be aware of this in order to continually enhance our practice.
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