NURS 3020 Week 2 Discussion – Caring and Ethics in Your Practice

The first impression matters a lot in dealing with people, especially our patients. I make sure to dress neatly and more professionally when I am meeting patients for the first time to make them feel comfortable and feel free with me as their nurse. Greeting my patient with a warm smile on my face, introduce myself as the nurse, address them formerly as “Mr. Boyd or Mrs. White,” and make sure to tell them the purpose of the interview. Sitting down to be at the same eye level helps the patient gets more comfortable and avoid giving them the impression that you are in a rush. Showing personal interest in my patients is another factor I put into consideration, establishing a trusting relationship so they are free to share all vital information (Jarvis, 2016). While taking notes is essential during an interview as you don’t want to rely on your memory for all the information. Note-taking should be brief and to the point to allow you to focus on the patient (Jarvis, 2016). I try to maintain eye contact with my patient to show them I care and listen attentively to all their concern. Understanding the fact that not all patients have the same level of education, I have learned to avoid the use of medical “Jargon” but use simple and clear terms as much as possible.

Currently working as a case manager, I make sure to review my patient chart to get familiar with their medical history before home visits. I review their medication list, recent hospitalization or emergency room visit; Physicians visit, and medical diagnosis, as all this gets me prepared to know my patient very well. Dealing mostly with older adults, I avoid rushing through the interview and listen carefully to them as this allows them to voice out their concerns and tell you their mind whether it is relevant to the assessment or not. Providing necessary education during the interview also helps the patient comply with the treatment plan. Sometimes lack of knowledge about the expected side effects of a medication can make patients stop taking that medication, but if teaching was provided, that would be avoided. Showing empathy is another quality we should develop as a nurse. I have encountered several patients who will break down to tears during assessment for different reasons, such as the death of a loved one, feeling lonely or having medical issues; showing them empathy tells them I care about them and am not just there to gather information, so to speak. As a nurse, while providing quality care, we need to consider our patient’s situations (Lachman, 2012). At the end of the interview, I ask my patients if they have any questions or concerns that were not addressed during the interview. When we show in both by our actions and words that we care for our patients, it helps encourage them to comply with the treatment plan.

References:

Jarvis, C. (2016). Physical examination and health assessment (7th ed.). St. Louis, MS: Elsevier. Pg 27, 30

Lachman, V.D. (2012). Applying the ethics of care to your nursing practice. Med Surg Nursing. March-April 2012, Vol. 21 Issue 2, p112

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