I still remember the nurses who laughed at me after major spine surgery when I was walking around with my butt out because I didn’t know to bring shorts to the hospital and wasn’t allowed to double my gowns due to the incision location. I still remember the aid who told me that I smelled after days of being unable to move my limbs or get out of bed while sweating uncontrollably from spinal shock and agonizing pain. I sat and cried after that because I had overcome so much that hospital stay just to be dehumanized. Never did they ask if I wanted something to cover up or assistance bathing. Just laughed at me and joked with each other.
I also remember the nurse who checked on me extra during the night with a hospital stay in the middle of covid because they kicked my mom out and I have trauma about being in the hospital alone. She made extra visits to make sure I was okay just like she promised my mom. I remember the nurse who held my hand and called me honey as my limbs trashed and shook from spinal shock.
Basically being a good nurse and being a bad nurse to patients does stay with a person. It’s been years and many other hospital stays since a lot of these instances and I still remember them clearly. I know nurses are burnt out, traumatized, and exhausted. Nurses deserve better treatment. But so do patients.