A fellow healthcare worker was recently hospitalized for eye surgery. For 24 hours following the surgery and anesthesia, she experienced extreme nausea and dizziness. Her husband stayed with her for assistance, but her problem was complicated by the fact that she had to keep her head in a prone position because of the eye surgery. Despite pain and nausea medications, any head movement could cause dizziness and vomiting. At 3 AM, her husband had fallen asleep, so she called for a nurse to help her get to the bedside commode. The nurse quietly and gently assisted her, trying not to wake the patient’s husband, as this was his first time sleeping since the surgery.

Upon moving back to bed, my colleague again experienced vomiting and extreme dizziness. She had been given anti-emetic medication before getting up, so the nurse gave her a cool cloth and sat holding her steady in...

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