My Confession Letter to Senator Walsh

Dear Senator Walsh,

Hi, hello, I know I am pretty late on the whole "you suck" train but a patient tonight helped me realize a few things.

Here is my confession: I do play cards for a considerable amount of time some days. And yes, I mean real cards. I know, I know, you called it. However, I would like you to know my reasons why.

I play cards with the older gentleman with dementia who is sun-downing and the only thing that keeps him calm is playing solitaire.

I play cards with the woman who has PTSD from countless sexual assaults in her past to keep her mind off of things.

I play cards with a group of patients who are bored out of their minds and instead of causing a ruckus, wanted to play slap jack with me.

I play cards with a young woman to talk her down because she is having racing thoughts and wants to harm herself.

I play cards with a psychotic gentleman who needs to keep busy or he start banging his head against the wall or hurting someone else.

I play cards to get to know a patient who is nonverbal and won't communicate with anyone else.

I play cards with a patient who has been on our unit for months, who has thrown countless rags with feces on them at me because the slightest improvement we've seen is his want to play war with me.

I play cards to try and convince a bulimic patient to eat her food and that everything will be okay.

*

I play cards, for a considerable amount of my day some days, to help the patient population that I care the most about.


Sincerely,

A psych tech, soon to be RN, future psych NP, caregiver who cares deeply about my population.