"SAVE ONE LIFE, YOU’RE A HERO. SAVE 100 LIVES, YOU’RE A NURSE.”

22 Jun 2023

How nurses can inspire their patients to take better care of themselves:

NURSING MADE EASY

You might even be able to inspire a patient to take better care of themselves in the future, ensuring they don’t have to come back to hospital and they have a greater understanding of their health and health needs. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways that nurses can inspire their patients to look after themselves more; read on and see what you can put into practice in your nursing role in career. 

Detecting Patient Needs 

What this actually means is that although some patients will already understand just what their condition is and what needs to be done about it (and ultimately what they need to do about it), others won’t have any idea at all. As a nurse, it’s your job to know the difference and to explain everything in the right way. You won’t want to give advice that they already know, as this can feel condescending. However, you will need to teach someone who doesn’t know, otherwise they will be left in the dark and they will have no chance of helping themselves when the time comes.

One fact that all nurses need to understand is that every patient, even if they have the same condition, will have different needs. This is part of the training that each nurse has, but it’s easy to forget when you’re in the middle of treating someone, especially when you’re in an emergency situation

For nurses, the best option is to work with patients to create a plan going forward. In this way, you can find out what they already know and work with that knowledge—or lack of it—to create a plan that works for them and that they will be able to stick to. 

Use Integrated Patient Communication 

Communication is always going to be a crucial skill when you’re a nurse. This is one of the best ways to ensure your patients understand how to take better care of themselves and exactly what they need to do to achieve this. Although many people who are good communicators choose to become nurses because they have this and other useful skills that will help them progress in their careers, it is possible to learn to be a good communicator as well. 

When you are able to communicate well with patients, the practical element is obvious; you will also be able to give them health and wellness instructions to follow, and as much information about their condition as possible, as mentioned above. However, there are also other advantages. The main benefit of being able to communicate well with your patients is that you can build up trust with them. They will have a lot of goodwill towards you if they know you are giving them all the information you can and are helping them as much as possible. In this way, they will be more likely to follow your instructions; they know what you are telling them is for their own good and they will be happy to do as you tell them. Without this trust and bond forming, patients may not be quite so willing to do what they are told, either because they can’t quite bring themselves to believe in your authenticity and knowledge, or because they simply don’t want to follow instructions from someone they don’t like or trust. The more you can form a bond, the more you can inspire your patients to do what is right and good for their health. 

Patient Follow-Up

You can follow up with your patients via email or phone, for example. The more personalized you can make this follow-up, the better—the patient will know you are going above and beyond to help them, and they will want to ensure they do what they are asked to do because you have taken the time to personally help them. Of course, you may not be able to do this for all your patients, but for those whom you feel might particularly benefit, it’s worth trying at least, since it could make all the difference and help them to be inspired to take better care of themselves in the future . 

Be Tenacious 

When you are a nurse, you’ll find that as well as being one of the most rewarding careers to get into, nursing is also one of the most challenging, and it’s vital that you’re aware of that before you begin your training. If not, you may not enjoy the job, and you may not be able to keep up with everything you need to do. As soon as your shift starts, you will be working, and although breaks are important, they will be quick ones for the most part, and then you are back to patient care. For many, this can feel overwhelming, which is why nursing is not a profession that everyone would be good at, and although nursing is open to everyone, it doesn’t mean everyone can be a nurse Click here

However, if you can be tenacious and ensure you keep moving forward, doing all you need to do to get your tasks done on each shift, you will be able to help both yourself and your patients in the best way, no matter what challenges might lay ahead. By being as professional as possible at all times and pushing through when others might have to stop and wonder what they are doing, you can be sure to be there for your patients no matter what their needs might be. 

 NURSING MADE EASY


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