7 Ways to Improve Patient Care as a Nurse

Nursing is one of the most underrated yet noblest roles in healthcare. Nurses are essential members of society as they advocate for health, educate the general public and patients about injury and illness prevention, participate in rehabilitation, and provide support and care. Nursing usually revolves around the interaction and treatment of a patient, which leads to a special relationship. This relationship benefits a patient’s health and ensures that patients receive the best care possible.
So as a nurse, you must constantly look for ways to improve your skills and the care you provide, some of which include:
- Pursuing Higher Education
With advancements in healthcare and technology, nurses can upskill to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. They can learn new demonstrating and clinical skills that can bring improvement in the treatment of patients. In most cases, a nurse with a bachelor’s degree operates under the supervision of a physician with a set of guidelines and restrictions. However, a higher degree removes that obstacle by providing them with enough qualifications and training to work independently. A BSN to DNP degree helps a nurse in not only honing her clinical skills but also in other fundamental holistic practices. From staying up-to-date on the latest medical advancements to practicing with new technologies and manuals, a nurse can optimize the patient’s experience into something better.
- Track Patient Medication and Appointments
Patients frequently find it taxing to remember their appointments or which medications to take when. They may even forget to take any in the first place. This neglect not only results in a lack of better health but also slows down the recovery process. Even in the short term, proper medication after a hospital discharge can make the difference between recovery at home and a need for readmission.
As a nurse, one of the best ways to improve this experience is by setting up a medication reminder system. Maintaining a digital calendar in your workplace or an app on your phone can help you keep track of your patient’s medication.
The important thing is to be consistent with your reminders and to regularly check in with your patients to ensure that they take their medications as prescribed. Doing this can help your patients stay healthy and avoid potential complications from their medications.
- Using a patient-centered approach
One dominant trend emerging in nursing is a focus on a patient-centric approach, which means that nurses focus on providing care tailored to the needs of each patient. Here, good communication comes to save the day. As a nurse, you can communicate with your patients to build a solid nurse-patient relationship which is necessary for patient-centered care. In addition, it helps you understand your patients, learn about their medical history, personal preferences, and anything else that can help you understand their unique needs for the best possible treatment.
Make sure you take the time to listen to your patients, understand their concerns and ask the right questions. You can be an advocate for your patients and encourage them to voice their concerns to build trust. This helps them realize the importance of self-care, and their understanding of these values becomes the driving force behind all clinical choices.
- Emotional Support
Providing emotional support all the time can be challenging at times as nurses deal with sick and injured patients daily. However, it is still an essential part of nursing.
Listening to concerns and offering words of encouragement and hope is a task that doesn’t require much effort. Observation is a great way to evaluate a patient who might want to express their opinions and emotions about trauma or disease. Knowing the signs of poor mental health enables the nurse to decide when to step in and lend an ear or a shoulder.
According to studies, patients with empathetic nurses during their treatment and surgery show less stress and sadness, while pregnant moms have less dread and anxiety before giving birth. In addition, it helps the patients deal with the illness and treatments and adjust to life at the hospital. Patients are more likely to adhere to at-home care instructions when when treated by compassionate nurses.
- Help with documentation and paperwork
One of the struggles for a patient is keeping the treatment and test reports aligned and saved with them. It could also involve anything from completing medical insurance documents to medical discharge forms. It becomes too strenuous for a patient in bed to think about all that distracting and stressful stuff. Nurses can assist the patient in keeping track of all files and documentation by taking care of all the paperwork and documentation. It serves as additional support for the patient’s obligations, in addition to keeping the nurse informed of the patient’s background. As a result, they can reduce the stress levels of their patients, making it easier for them to get the care they need.
- Keeping patients updated on their health
As a nurse, one of the best things you can do to improve patient care is to keep them updated on their health. Whether through regular check-ups or updates on their chart, letting patients know what’s going on with their health is a crucial part of providing quality care. Not only does it help them feel more informed and in control, but it also allows them to be more proactive in their treatment and recovery. It frequently interests them to get more information about the treatment and their disease and keeps them motivated toward a positive outcome. It also keeps nurses on their toes and keeps them from forgetting their health and medical history. In the long run, it can work as a factor in improving the physical and mental health of the patient.
- Usage of nursing technologies
With the advancement of technology in the healthcare system, nurses need to stay relevant in their field. By using advanced technologies like Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHR), wearable devices, smart beds, and telehealth apps, nurses can make routine processes easier without human error and improve patient care. These technologies offer numerous possibilities for enhancing and transforming healthcare, such as reducing human errors, enhancing clinical outcomes, fostering care coordination, increasing exercise efficiencies, and monitoring data over time. It enables caregivers to fetch patient data faster than traditional methods, allowing for more timely test scheduling and diagnosis. Nurses can reduce extra work, interruptions, risks, and medical expenses by simplifying patient information sharing and helping themselves and patients together.
Conclusion
The field of nursing is constantly evolving. Nursing roles are becoming more advanced and can only be understood through knowledge, reflection, and public opinion. They often put their comforts to the needs of the patients they care for daily.