Angels in the Night
By Eileen Mueller, R.N., C.C.R.N. Cardiac Care Nurse
For much of my nursing career, I have worked the night shift. And there have been many shifts that I will never forget!

On one of those shifts, I was taking care of a man in his late 50's. He had extremely severe cardiac disease and was not expected to live a month, if that. This was March and I learned that his daughter was getting married the end of May. Based his prognosis, I knew there was little chance of him being alive for his daughter's wedding

One evening when I was taking care of him, I went on my break, only to return to find the charge nurse in his room. The patient appeared very agitated. When I walked further into the room, the charge nurse said aloud to him, "Here's your nurse!" He grabbed both my hands and held on tightly. He was obviously frightened and appeared to be having visual hallucinations.

So I stayed at his bedside talking to him in a calming voice; trying to soothe him. I explained in detail his surroundings, where he was, why he was there, and what we were doing to care for him. I continued to hold his hands, letting go only briefly to perform a procedure and give him medication, but never leaving his bedside.

I have held the hand of many a patient, but this was the only patient for whom I held both hands from 1:30 a.m. until he finally felt safe and secure enough to fall asleep at 5:30 a.m. He went home shortly afterwards and miraculously lived to see his daughter marry. He died that August. I have heard that night nurses are called "angels in the night." I wonder to this day, if I was sent there that night to watch over him?