As a nursing student in the clinical setting I've gotten to see some interesting and unique patients. I've also gotten to see some interesting and unique nurses caring for their patients. It is absolutely imperative that a nurse be somebody the patient and the patient's family can trust and look to for help, comfort and information. This post comes to you as a guest posting from a woman named Melanie who contacted me about the importance of quality nursing care for chronically ill patients. Please enjoy this well written piece! [Kayla]
For those with a cancer
diagnosis, life can become a whirlwind of different facilities, doctors,
surgeons, treatments, and nurses; however, having a nurse you can trust
throughout treatment can make a big difference in psychological health, patient
hope, and compliance.
The nurse-patient
relationship is important in medical settings as well as in home care.
The role of a nurse is to not only focus on the medical aspects of
cancer, but also the emotional needs of patients. In fact, the American
Society of Registered Nurses, reported that studies show 80%
of psychological illness goes untreated during cancer treatment because the
focus is on the medical procedures such as chemotherapy and surgery. They
also reported that an optimal nurse-patient relationship would be one where the
nurse is in tune with the patient’s emotions and in a position to identify
possible psychological symptoms.
When patients can trust a nurse to give them correct medical information, care about their physical and psychological well-beings, and care for them in a professional, dignified way, it makes the cancer treatment journey much more manageable. Unfortunately, most cancer specialists and surgeons simply do not have the time to form lasting relationships with their patients. Having a trusted nurse doesn't just benefit the patient; it can also benefit the patient’s family caregivers. Especially in home-based care, it probably has become a luxury for family caregivers to leave even for simple errands. It eases families’ minds to know that the patient trusts the nurse and is content in his or her company. Families need to feel as if their nurse is a part of the team and know they can count on him or her to keep them informed of developments, complications, and changes in status.
Patients and families can also work to build a more trusting relationship with nurses. One of the obstacles facing nurses is their lack of knowledge about all the aspects of a patient’s treatment. If a nurse only sees a mesothelioma patient in the respiratory wing of a hospital, he or she might not be aware of the current state of chemotherapy or radiation. By making an effort to keep nurses informed and engaged, patients are not only taking better control of their health care team, but they are also signaling to the nurse that they would benefit from a more trusting relationship.
In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses. Having a trusted nurse doesn't just benefit the patient; it can also benefit the patient’s family caregivers. Especially in home-based care, it probably has become a luxury for family caregivers to leave even for simple errands. It eases families’ minds to know that the patient trusts the nurse and is content in his or her company. Families need to feel as if their nurse is a part of the team and know they can count on him or her to keep them informed of developments, complications, and changes in status. Patients and families can also work to build a more trusting relationship with nurses. One of the obstacles facing nurses is their lack of knowledge about all the aspects of a patient’s treatment. If a nurse only sees a mesothelioma patient in the respiratory wing of a hospital, he or she might not be aware of the current state of chemotherapy or radiation. By making an effort to keep nurses informed and engaged, patients are not only taking better control of their health care team, but they are also signaling to the nurse that they would benefit from a more trusting relationship.
In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses. Patients and families can also work to build a more trusting relationship with nurses. One of the obstacles facing nurses is their lack of knowledge about all the aspects of a patient’s treatment. If a nurse only sees a mesothelioma patient in the respiratory wing of a hospital, he or she might not be aware of the current state of chemotherapy or radiation. By making an effort to keep nurses informed and engaged, patients are not only taking better control of their health care team, but they are also signaling to the nurse that they would benefit from a more trusting relationship.
In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses. In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses.
When patients can trust a nurse to give them correct medical information, care about their physical and psychological well-beings, and care for them in a professional, dignified way, it makes the cancer treatment journey much more manageable. Unfortunately, most cancer specialists and surgeons simply do not have the time to form lasting relationships with their patients. Having a trusted nurse doesn't just benefit the patient; it can also benefit the patient’s family caregivers. Especially in home-based care, it probably has become a luxury for family caregivers to leave even for simple errands. It eases families’ minds to know that the patient trusts the nurse and is content in his or her company. Families need to feel as if their nurse is a part of the team and know they can count on him or her to keep them informed of developments, complications, and changes in status.
Patients and families can also work to build a more trusting relationship with nurses. One of the obstacles facing nurses is their lack of knowledge about all the aspects of a patient’s treatment. If a nurse only sees a mesothelioma patient in the respiratory wing of a hospital, he or she might not be aware of the current state of chemotherapy or radiation. By making an effort to keep nurses informed and engaged, patients are not only taking better control of their health care team, but they are also signaling to the nurse that they would benefit from a more trusting relationship.
In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses. Having a trusted nurse doesn't just benefit the patient; it can also benefit the patient’s family caregivers. Especially in home-based care, it probably has become a luxury for family caregivers to leave even for simple errands. It eases families’ minds to know that the patient trusts the nurse and is content in his or her company. Families need to feel as if their nurse is a part of the team and know they can count on him or her to keep them informed of developments, complications, and changes in status. Patients and families can also work to build a more trusting relationship with nurses. One of the obstacles facing nurses is their lack of knowledge about all the aspects of a patient’s treatment. If a nurse only sees a mesothelioma patient in the respiratory wing of a hospital, he or she might not be aware of the current state of chemotherapy or radiation. By making an effort to keep nurses informed and engaged, patients are not only taking better control of their health care team, but they are also signaling to the nurse that they would benefit from a more trusting relationship.
In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses. Patients and families can also work to build a more trusting relationship with nurses. One of the obstacles facing nurses is their lack of knowledge about all the aspects of a patient’s treatment. If a nurse only sees a mesothelioma patient in the respiratory wing of a hospital, he or she might not be aware of the current state of chemotherapy or radiation. By making an effort to keep nurses informed and engaged, patients are not only taking better control of their health care team, but they are also signaling to the nurse that they would benefit from a more trusting relationship.
In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses. In conclusion, a trusting nursing relationship can help avoid and treat the psychological effects of cancer treatment, fill the need for more time to discuss treatments, and reduce the burden on caregiving families. Nurses can build relationships by paying attention to patient expression, talking about treatment in a comfortable way, and taking time to discuss things other than cancer. Patients and families can build this relationship by engaging and informing nurses.
Nurses should step in to
speak to the patient about their fears and anxieties. Sometimes a patient
just needs some time to talk about something other than their cancer, and the
best nurses will be able to notice this without the patient explicitly stating
it.
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