Posted 2 months ago Comments
As a nurse I often get asked the question, “What is the hardest part of your job?” Most expect to hear about blood, guts, and death. Although, I find those aspects of my career difficult, I never respond with that answer. I always say, “Dealing with the patient’s family members.” There really is a sense of dread when you see a certain patient’s family members approach the desk. Dread in the sense of “what could they possibly complain about now” and “what did I not do now?” It has become a brutal part of healthcare and improvements are necessary. Here are a few tips to help patients and families improve their communication skills and in effect, improve their hospital experience.
- Know your loved ones baseline.
Baseline, to healthcare providers, means what is a patient’s normal blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level, blood sugar, and neurological status. So basically, vital signs and are they normally acting this crazy? Family members are the key piece of this puzzle. They can be such an advocate when a patient is deteriorating. Knowing that your mother’s blood pressure is never low can help healthcare providers make faster interventions. The biggest red flag to me is when a family member says, “Something is really wrong.” I hear those words and I usually develop a pit in my stomach, and get moving to help the patient!
Have an organized, updated medication list and past medical history
Past medical history and medications are two very important pieces of the puzzle to safely admit a patient into the hospital. With all of the technology in our world today, there are still families and patients that have a small lined piece of paper that gets crammed into a wallet with a list of medications. This paper usually looks like it is 15 years old and usually has things like “take pink pill on Tuesday,” or “Coreg 12.5mg.” The problem with those two examples is that, A) there are a lot of pink pills on the market, and B) how many times a day are you popping your Coreg? My plea is simple. Please get on a computer, make your parents or grandparents medication list, and keep the list updated with changes the doctor has made. The same goes for past medical history. I am often rudely asked “why are you giving my dad that Lasix, he’s been off of that pill for weeks?” In response I want to say, “Remove it from his medication list that you just handed me and we’ll move on from there.” Keep us informed by being informed about your loved one.
- Your feelings matter, but not in the patient rooms
Your loved one is in the hospital, and they are anxious and scared. They just received word from the doctor that it is cancer and we have to run more tests. This day is about the patient. It is not about you and your emotions. It is about supporting your loved one through the process. We all react to negativity differently and if you want to react negatively come with me to the family waiting room and let’s have a good cry. Then compose yourself and go hug your mother once you have recovered. Selfishness is not allowed. Turning around and getting mad at the staff that we are taking too long to get the ultrasound or blood test will not help your loved one. Breath, talk with me in the hallway about your concerns, and be strong for your family.
- Find a way to trust us again
When I say us, I mean hospitals, doctors, and nurses. Our culture has shifted into malpractice suits and because of this shift, healthcare providers are more stressed out and are busier. We have to document for a longer time on computers because it is grilled into our heads that if we don’t document, 5 years from now when a ambulance chaser is questioning why I didn’t document a bowel movement, I can’t respond with, I was spending too much time at the bedside, sir. I want to be at the bedside, and when I am not, I am fielding calls from doctors, family, helping a crashing patient, and documenting for what seems like forever. We are not out of room posting on twitter. We are facilitating your care, being your advocate, and working hard to make your hospital stay a safe one.
All I can hope from this short guide, is that more effective communication will develop between healthcare providers and the community. Please don’t let one negative experience affect your faith in hospitals and its providers. Let’s keep talking and let’s help improve the quality of life for our patients together.
