I am recently new to this site, I have never posted anything myself but have commented  a few times.  My question is this.. I have a habit of thinking and acting upon my heart.  Recently a young mother came into our office very depressed and crying.  She has a young son who is Autistic.  As she was telling me and crying about the difficulties she deals with I thought of my own son.  My youngest was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder, which basically means he does not fit into the specific slot that makes him Autistic, but closer to Aspbergers (spelling ?)  a form of autism.  I also have a son with ADHD/Tourettes and my oldest Bipolar with episodes of psychosis.  I love my boys with all my heart and though they look and act normal (more or less, for what is normal?) they each have their own problems. But as she talked to me, I could understand each and everything she said.  I could feel her anxiety and understand her pain.  We had recently had a training dealing with disabilities and I learned of local agencies that could offer counseling, group support ect.  I gave her this information.  I guess my question is this, I want to be professional but not lose my compassion and caring.  Is it unprofessional to listen to pt's to try to give comfort and support or do I just get their vitals , information and leave?  Most of the providers I work with in my office know how I am and don't have a problem with it as long as I don't hold up their schedule to much.  But some of the LPN's and RN's kind of look at me like I am doing something wrong. 

The mother came in about 1 month later and she was smiling and laughing.  she contacted the support groups and also  the doctor had given her some antidepressants but she thanked me and said it was still a struggle with her son, but she felt better.  She said she greatly appreciated my listening to her and that I  told her about my son.  Thanks for letting me ponder and I appreciate any remarks.. but please be gentle I'm a newbie... ;)

You gave the mother something she needed-someone to listen . That's a part of nursing too. You can't let yourself get emotionaly involved with every patient but you are in the medical field because you are a kind and caring soul. Especially since you could relate to her problems. You did exactly the right thing. You helped someone.  And isn't that what we are all here for???  

thanks charlita and pezzy, I appreciate what you said.  I do not give advice, that is not part of my resposibility, but I will find information that can help a pt if I can.   I just wanted to see what others thought.   thanks

I agree with the others - you did the right thing. Part of nursing is emotionally supporting your patients. If you want to look at it this way, if a person is emotionally distressed, can you say they're "healthy"? (not just physically but as a whole) Besides, I think some nurses lose sight of this aspect of nursing because they're always so busy with everything that there often isn't time to sit down with each patient to talk with them. As a nursing student who actually has time to focus on just a patient or two, I've found that simply listening and talking with a patient (even about non-serious stuff) really helps them to cheer up, if even just a little. One patient I was assigned to even thanked me for coming to talk to him.

By helping the mother, you helped the son. How do you think the doc would have felt if you let her keep on crying and not tried to help? Yes it may have taken some time to talk to her but how much time did you save her? And heartache?

Bedside manner is 90% of the cure in my opinion.  Never stop caring about your patients.  You do what you feel is right and forget what everyone else thinks.  It is hard to be a patient advocate because of other nurses sometimes.  Just remember you took an oath and you should stand by it.  Keep up the good work.