Simple Nursing
Nurses use their mind and heart in their profession to provide the best patient care and ensure their recovery. Depending on the type of nurse, (RN nurse, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, etc.) their responsibilities vary but they are an integral part of the medical community, without whom the hospital or community care centre can not function. As every patient is different, nurses have to be very smart and apply objective knowledge from their training and test results while also keeping in mind the subjective responses of each patient’s different biological, physical and behavioural responses.
The Benefits of Simple Nursing
There are many benefits of choosing this healthcare profession as a career:
- If you are someone who is empathetic and you feel fulfilled by taking care of others, nursing can be a very rewarding career for you as it involves devoted patient care on a daily basis
- As there is a labour shortage in this line of work, nursing jobs are high in demand and good nurses are always required to be a part of the medical staff. According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 9% growth rate for nurse in the next decade within the US
- The average salaries for registered nurses are quite high. After you get your certification in your respective field, your salary can range from 30,000 USD to 117,000 USD per month.
- Besides the salary, there are also other benefits like paid vacation, paid sick leave, tuition reimbursement, retirement benefits and childcare
- Unlike the common misconception that nurses have to work for an incredible amount with an inflexible schedule, there are many options available to keep your work schedule according to your availability- like opting to be a school nurse, travel nurse or homecare nurse
The Role of Simple Nursing in Patient Care
There is a scientific method to provide the best kind of healthcare for patients- this simple nursing process includes five steps that are common for all types of registered nurses:
- The assessment process is the first step and it includes properly estimating the lifestyle of the patient- an in-depth physiological, economic and social picture of how the patient’s lifestyle
- The patient is then thoroughly observed to notice their behaviour and physical symptoms in order to make a diagnosis
- After careful consideration, a realistic recovery plan is then figured out and its implementation is monitored
- The care plan is also implemented with extreme care and the process is documented in detail
- Feedback is attained by observing the patient’s response to the care being administered and if there is any ineffectiveness, it is adjusted accordingly. This is the final stage called the evaluation
Implementing Simple Nursing Practices in the Clinical Setting
Care plans can be made in three ways- independently by the nurse, completely designed by the doctor, or through the collaborative effort of the nurse and other departments because it requires the regular assessment of the patient as well as the dependent intervention of the doctor. This is how nursing is implemented in a clinical setting:
- During the assessment process, the vital signs, external body conditions, neurological functioning, medical history and physical complaints are recorded by the nurse
- Bedside care and assistance is also provided once the care plan is being implemented
- Regular administration of the medication
- Postpartum support for new mothers
- Helping patients eat and drink if they are physically unable to
- Monitoring and recording the recovery progress
- Proving emotional support to the patients as well when their mental health is not fine
The Importance of Communication in Simple Nursing
- To avoid medical errors, the patient should be carefully listened to and understood. Effective communication is extremely important in nursing because then only the right medical protocol can follow
- Communication also includes developing trust while talking to the patient and then forwarding the information truthfully to the doctor
- It is also important to talk to the patient’s family as it fosters quality care by giving emotional support to the patient and the people they are connected to
Simple Nursing and Patient Safety
The discipline of patient safety emerged in order to provide quality healthcare services to the patient and reduce the risks and errors during the implementation of medical practice that caused harm to the patient. Increasing patient safety could be a very good research topic for nurses. Following are some nursing practices for patient safety:
- Quickly responding to bedside alarms and keeping a strict check on the vitals of the patient
- It is the nurses’ responsibility to properly educate the patient about the medication to be taken and if they are getting discharged, then after-care knowledge should be provided
- Act like an extra pair of yes for the doctor and stop them from giving any medicine or making a mistake during surgery that could harm the patient’s health
Simple Nursing and Patient Satisfaction
- Patient’s satisfaction with the hospital service is highly dependent on how well the nurses respond to the patient
- Patients usually only complain about the nurse not being present for emotional support or being too cold so having a connection with the patient is extremely important for the nurse
- The nurse should provide pain relief when the patient expresses discomfort. Patients exhibit dissatisfaction when their concerns are ignored