A story about a nurse, a difficult phone call, and a team’s support.
This happened right after Pennsylvania was shut down from COVID; so… late March. I've had a client, her partner, and now child (who will turn 2 in September) since she enrolled while pregnant.
They have many strengths, but some challenges also; like behavioral and mental health issues. Now, they were going to be essentially homeless. They were going to live with a "friend.”
I received a frantic phone call around 10:30 pm on a Thursday night, late in March from my client’s partner. Something was happening in the house! I wasn't sure what, but I knew that someone had to make sure that the 1 1/2 year old little girl was safe! So, I called 911, and the police went out, calmed things down, and made sure that the little girl was safe.
Off and on, I spent from 10:30 until midnight, on the phone with this family. Some things were said during those call - out of frustration on their part, I'm fairly sure - that made me feel like a failure as an Nurse Family Partnership nurse (I'm also my own worst critic).
I put that sentiment on the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) “nurse2nurse” Facebook page as a post. The responses that I received back from NFP nurses across the country however, lifted me up and reminded me that I am along for THEIR journey. That I don't drive their bus, they do. And that every NFP nurse has felt this way one time or another.
I made some new - if only through social media - friends that night.