While the US may be one of the largest spenders on healthcare globally, that doesn’t guarantee the country ranks high in terms of other medical parameters. In fact, America is only 26th in the world with respect to life expectancy. Other patient care indicators don’t paint a pretty picture either.
Although these stats don’t necessarily shed light on the competency of the people who are part of the field, there are certain aspects that require immediate attention. What this means is that while collective efforts are made, if you are someone who is part of the healthcare ecosystem, there is a responsibility that falls upon your shoulders on a personal level too.
Many nurses work long hours under strenuous conditions only to provide the best care to patients. These heroes go above and beyond to fulfill the duties that fall under their purview. However, if you still feel that you would want to perform better, there are certain factors that can help.
Here are a few steps that you can take to improve patient care:
1. Start by strengthening your basics:
The road to better and more robust healthcare starts with a few essentials. This includes staying up-to-date with the latest developments in nursing care while upskilling yourself through education. Undoubtedly, nursing is a pressure-intensive job, but thanks to the internet, learning new things or even pursuing a higher educational degree is no longer an issue.
For instance, if you have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can enroll for an online post mater’s certificate nurse practitioner program that offers the opportunity to develop your knowledge base and certain essential skills that make you a better nurse. Education has a direct impact on your competencies as a nurse, a fact you can experience first-hand when you start to expand your knowledge.
2. Be more respectful to those around you:
Given the pressure that comes with nursing, stress can be high a lot of times. And while this is justified at times, it can impact your ability to deliver quality patient care. Patients at medical facilities require more than just treatment for the condition that has been diagnosed. They enter with certain expectations, the most important of which is the urge to be respected.
When someone suffers from any physical or mental ailment, they are already fighting a hard battle within them. The slightest empathy and respect you show them as a nurse can elevate their spirits and allow their bodies to recover and heal at a much better rate. Showing respect may seem like a trivial task, but the impact it has is substantial.
3. Constantly open avenues for better access to care:
Medical practitioners have moved past the limitations of the conventional medical culture to focus on social variables of health in order to improve the wellness of patient groups across areas, cultural backgrounds, and social classes.
Education, social standing, income, and living conditions are all persistent, long-term characteristics that substantially impact patient care and the prevention or mitigation of illness symptoms. Improved patient outcomes will result from addressing these (often unnoticed) variables.
To achieve this, nurses must be aware of a patient’s medical background and employ patient care technology that fosters care plan compliance and helps reduce errors. It’s essential to make scheduling appointments quick and simple. Never make a potential patient stay on hold or require them to visit your website five times in order to make an appointment.
4. Engage the patient’s family and friends in their care:
The American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics has a specific provision on this matter which states that an essential component of improving patient care involves the contributions and support from loved ones. This can include family members, close friends, or anyone they hold dear. Engaging these people impacts patient well-being to a great extent.
The concept of patient-centric care has become widespread during modern times. It entails allowing patients and their confidantes to participate in the decision-making process where treatment plans and procedures are finalized. This idea focuses on larger life experiences and making them a part of the treatment process to facilitate healing.
5. Offer emotional support to your patients:
Medical experts from many professions offer emotional support to patients to enhance the patient experience, even in the most trying circumstances. The best patient care involves a little touch of psychology; it necessitates recognizing clues to ascertain how receptive each patient is to different kinds of support.
Do they merely want you to pay attention to their experiences? Do they need to know that you can relate to them and will support them through their difficulties? When they realize you don’t have all the answers, do they expect you to be open and vulnerable? Is it proper to observe a moment of silence? Keeping their hand throughout a tearful period?
Patient care is part art, part science; where you follow your gut and your experience. You’ll observe that establishing a connection with the patient ultimately improves workflow rather than detracting from it. You’ll have a sense of worth, confidence, and necessity. There is no better method to increase clientele and word-of-mouth recommendations while enjoying the professional benefits for yourself.
6. Make use of the latest technological tools to streamline care:
Technology has come a long way in making care easier not only for nurses but for patients too. Since the definition of excellent patient care entails educating them about their condition so that they can become a part of the treatment more effectively, the role of various digital tools has become even more imperative.
Appropriate care management reduces the need for redundant tests, repetitive medical services, and regular complicated tests. This eventually enhances overall patient outcomes while also making coordination between nurses, patients, and healthcare service managers seamless and easier.
Conclusion:
Nurses are imperative components of the healthcare equation these days. Their roles are extensive, and although they have diverse roles to fulfill, some of these professionals still feel they have more to give. This is a benevolent agenda that paves the way for better patient care and well-being.
It allows individuals suffering from various physical and mental ailments to receive the most effective care regimens possible in an environment that facilitates their recovery to the utmost. So, use the tips mentioned above to provide your patients better care as a nurse.
