I have found recently that when one's spirits are low, nothing works to raise them quite so well as the company of friends. At least for a while, anyways.
And I was thinking about the beneficial effect of friendships in relation to my nursing practice. I remember our teacher telling us what she had witnessed: With some patients in a coma, a family member or friend entering the room would have a noticeable effect on their vital signs... even though they were in a nearly vegetative state.
Yet, often in the hospital a nurse or technician will enter a patient's room and ask family members/friends to leave during their assessment... or relatives are forbidden from being in the room during an emergency like a cardiac arrest, etc.
Now, obviously this is due to the fact that someone unused to hospital protocol/situations may just get in the way, or panic, and thus do more damage than good.
However, I'm still convinced there are certain benefits to having a loved one present. It is calming and comforting for someone who is afraid in an unknown situation, to have someone they know and trust there to hold their hand.
I wonder what kind if effect it would have on the mortality rate of major surgeries if a loved one was there the whole time, murmuring sweet words in the ear of their friend. Hm.
Or the recovery rate of those overcoming a grave illness, if their family members were allowed to spend the night with them, cuddled up beside them on the bed.
Just thoughts, they probably require a lot more examination before i make up my mind completely. I did want to share though.
