Greetings!
Thanks for reading and I hope that you are enjoying this blog.
As a music therapist working in a hospital setting, of everyone on the medical team, I work most closely with nurses. And certainly, the ones that I work with are compassionate, caring and take such great care of their patients. And… they ‘get’ music therapy! It’s National Nurses Week – Today I honor the nurses!
Music therapy, in medical settings, is mainly an ‘in-the-moment’ practice, meaning, I am usually called when patients need help in the immediacy. Maybe a patient is anxious because they are scheduled for surgery in an hour, or, a patient is having difficulty processing the news that they just received from their doctor about recommendations of discontinuing treatment and moving to a more ‘palliative’ approach. And who knows what patients need more, in the moment, than anyone on the care team? Nurses. Nurses know what is going on with their patients at any given moment. And yes, I get music therapy referrals from doctors, rehab therapists, the palliative care team, case managers, etc., but most of my referrals come from, and I work most closely with, bedside nurses. When they need some extra help (the patient is in pain, but they don’t want to give more meds), or perhaps, feel as though their hands are tied, (the patient is struggling with coping with the prospects of grueling chemotherapy treatment) they refer for music therapy. They call me.
National Nurses Week starts tomorrow (Monday, May 6th), so today I honor the nurses. I have gotten to know many nurses over the years, working closely with them. And I will be the first to say, the nurses I know and work with are amazing. They will do anything to help meet the needs of their patients. They are the ultimate caregivers.
I have many stories that I could tell about how profoundly they care for their patients:
The time when a young patient was being referred for ‘hospice’ and her distressed family was going to meet with the palliative team to sign papers, the nurse, a bit distressed as a result of the rapid decline of this patient, asked me, “Please... could you be with her, play some music? I don't want her to be alone and I just don’t know what else to do."
Or the time I comforted a nurse who was so sad because her patient had passed away.
Or the nurse who was so happy that her patient recovered and was going home she was in tears.
Or the nurse who was holding the hand of a mother, who just made the decision to take her adult son off of life support, and was praying with her.
Or the nurse I once saw sitting on the bed and brushing the hair of an older patient, who was confused and anxious, which seemed to comfort her.
Here is a reflection that I wrote about three years ago, as Covid was still lingering, that sums it up:
This reflection is not about music or music therapy. This is about empathy, compassion, caring and hope. Recently, after visiting with a patient for a music therapy session at one of the hospitals where I work, I was sitting at a computer station on one of the units entering some notes. It was late in the afternoon and fairly quiet at the moment. But, like in all hospitals these days, there was still a feeling of underlying uncertainty, mainly because, on this unit there were COVID patients in several rooms; you could tell by the large yellow signs on the doors and the carts just outside with various personal protection equipment (PPE). As I sat there, I noticed a nurse, just down the hall, looking in the window of one of the COVID rooms. She looked a little concerned as she peered in for a few moments. Or maybe she just sensed that her patient needed something. (Imagine the isolation and fear these patients must feel. I’m sure they ‘need’ a lot of things.) She cracked open the door, checking on him. “What do you need sweetie?”… “A little water?”… “No, don’t worry. It’s no bother at all sweetie.” She closed the door and without hesitation started to ‘gear up’. Gown. Gloves. Goggles. Face shield. Headgear. Face mask under a Respiratory mask. Watching her was like watching a fireman prepping to go into a burning building. Or, more appropriately, someone putting on a Hazmat suit to diffuse a bomb. But… he needed a little water. So she geared up and in she went. As I watched the situation unfold, I was intrigued, a little bit sad, and completely in awe of her. Again, he just needed “a little water”. Now, there are many times that she, and all the other nurses and healthcare workers, are going in to give high-level care and attention to these patients, putting themselves at risk (let alone the psychological toll). But, without hesitation, in they go. As I watched her enter the room, all PPE in place and water in hand, I was frozen. I just sat for a few moments looking at the door that she just closed behind her. I just sat in silence. I felt comforted. And, admittedly, I got a little emotional. This is as real as it gets. This is what is happening right before my eyes. A raging pandemic and those who help without fail. He just needed a little water. That kind of compassion is off the charts.
I see nurses do this every day. They are loving, caring, and compassionate individuals. They do not hesitate going in and doing what they need to do. Without fail. They know the risks but still, in they go. Every time they are needed. Even if someone just needs a little water. And at the end of the day, they go home to their families and friends and do all the things that we all do. Make dinner, take care of their children, walk the dog. They are truly amazing. I have so much respect for them.
And… they get it. They ‘get’ music therapy! They see that music therapy can help their patients and they know that music therapy is a legitimate clinical practice that belongs in the hospital. Just this past week I overheard this from an ICU nurse at one of the hospitals where I work:
"Y'know, there's research and scientific evidence showing that music therapy can reduce anxiety and help people cope with being in the hospital. Can I have Ray come and see your dad?"
These nurses get it! But most importantly, they will do whatever it takes to help their patients. So… during this upcoming week (or anytime really), if you know or see a nurse, thank them. Thank them for what they do. Thank them for being there whenever your dad, daughter, uncle, grandmother, friend are in the hospital and need some loving care. Thank them for managing their hospital stay and for advocating for them (yes, they do that too!) And thank them, for bringing a little water if that is what someone needs.
I personally want to say that I am honored to work with all the nurses that I have, and have had, the pleasure of working with. They are the real deal. They make a difference for their patients. And they make a difference for me. Thank you for what you do. And thank you for who you are.
Happy National Nurses Week!
Ray
Raymond Leone, MMT, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist and the director of Medical Music Therapy at A Place To Be in Northern Virginia
Amen! Cheers to nurses!