“They don’t teach you that in nursing school”: This PICU nurse knows how to tell a story, and it will put a smile on your face

This is so beautiful and heart warming. I have so much respect for picu nurses (and nurses in general) because I’ve spent so much time as a patient in one. I was 1,500 miles away from home, just my mom and I on multiple occasions for months at a time in the picu. There were nurses in particular that we (my mom and I who never left my side. She slept on those plastic uncomfortable couches for months) really liked and connected with. In fact, I had to spend my 17th birthday in the hospital away from my family and twin sister and everyone there made it the best it could be under the circumstances. My moms birthday is 5 days after mine and I ended up having to have an emergency surgery on her birthday. As my neurosurgeon and one of those three nurses was pushing my bed to the operating room (my surgeon said “there’s no time for that” when he called for a room stat and they said they would send down for transport so he took me himself) I looked at my mom and said “I’m sorry I ruined your birthday”. The nurse said “I bought you a birthday cake!”. My mom actually teared up a little because it was such an unexpected and sweet gesture. Nurses really put their patients before themselves and make a difference in our lives.