A young nurse cares for a challenging AIDS patient Working as a nurse demands a lot of energy, and I not only need to prepare myself physically and mentally but also emotionally and spiritually. Every day I deal with people of various backgrounds who have different personalities and are from different walks of life — some who inspire you to go the extra mile and some who challenge your patience.
As a person living the spirituality of unity, the Gospel saying “Whenever you did this for one of my least brothers, you did it for me” (Mt 25:40) was already embedded in my heart.
One night we had a very demanding patient who had undergone surgery and was a former drug addict and AIDS victim. I felt that not all of my colleagues wanted to work with him because of his medical condition and his attitude. Honestly, I got scared too, thinking that I might accidentally poke myself from used needles, but whenever I felt scared I tried to see Jesus in this patient. By doing so, I felt more comfortable and found myself being able to do things to show concrete love for him.
For instance, whenever I saw him, I made sure to give him a big smile because even in that simple way, I was able to show that he was welcome. I always called him by his preferred name and did the same when I introduced him to another nurse. I took extra efforts to explain his medical condition or his various medications to him. Whenever I had extra time during my shift, I tried to spend more time with him to listen to his stories or offer toast or coffee between meals.
During his recovery he became so cooperative that he even started taking the initiative to do his exercises by himself.
A year later, he was back at our hospital for another surgery. When he saw me, he remembered my name and commented on the quality of care I provided and how grateful he was to me for helping him face the challenges in his life.
On hearing that, I felt very happy and fulfilled, not just because I’m doing my job well as a nurse but because I made a difference in someone else’s life.
By Alfeo Cacho
— with Rosa Kim
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