Nursing plays a significant role in the health care industry. In most cases, they are the first to offer patients support, comfort, and care. After being treated by doctors, nurses help bring patients back to health through technical skills and compassion.
The health industry is always looking for ways to improve the quality of care for patients while offering more for less; quality improvement is more than purchasing the newest equipment. In fact, training the staff to be more humane, alert, and empathetic is the key to success.
On the other hand, nurses are crucial for improving patient care quality, as they spend the most time with the patient. In the United States of America, there are currently 3.5 million nurses, meaning three nurses are working with one doctor.
Nurses not only take care of patients but also are doctors’ right-hand men and facilitate them at every step. Nurses can learn more skills to improve the quality of care for their patients.
Nurses can be at the top of their field by enrolling in more courses and higher degrees. Nowadays, many educational institutions offer medical professionals the ability to register for online degrees. This helps reduce work fatigue and allows candidates to study at their own pace, at home.
For instance, an online post masters DNP helps nurses enhance their skills while ensuring better patient care quality. That said, here are some effective ways of improving overall patient wellness and satisfaction.
1. Effective communication
Effective and healthy communication is a significant aspect of nursing. Healthy communication will help you understand the patient’s needs better. Most nurses struggle to establish effective communication with their patients, and if you’re facing the same obstacle, the following tips should help.
- The best way to understand your patient’s needs and the situation is by listening to them. Actively hearing your patients will help you assess their position. Moreover, it will help you provide for your patient’s exact needs.
- Body language matters a lot. When conversing with your patient, make sure to stand straight and firm. Talk to them while looking into their eyes. It will ensure your patient that they can trust you. A slouchy posture will make you look lazy and build less trust with your patient.
- Patience is vital when it comes to nursing. It can make a nurse’s job hard. At times you will face patients who are not the best communicators. Hence, they will struggle to communicate how they’re feeling. Therefore, patience will help you get through this. Give your patience time to speak, don’t push them and wait for a few minutes before replying to them.
- Lastly, keep your emotions in control. There will be situations that will bother you, and, in those times, rather than being mad or sad, you will still have to communicate professionally and positively.
- Equity
The health care industry is for everyone and welcomes anyone despite their race, status, color, and religion. As a nurse, you will be catering to anyone and everyone, and you shouldn’t have biases and prejudice against anyone and treat everyone equally.
Treating patients with kindness and equity will help nurses optimize patients’ experience and satisfaction. Moreover, nurses can promote equity by understanding that their patients are also individuals that come from different cultures and must cater to them accordingly.
Recognizing your patient’s diverse needs, avoiding judgment, and respecting their differences will help you promote inclusivity. In the end, respecting your patients, no matter their background, is the key to equity and equality.
3. Efficiency
Efficiency is crucial to quality nursing. Efficiency makes you a competent nurse and boosts and enhances patient satisfaction. A nurse’s schedule constantly changes, and they are the first to meet the patient. Hence, a nurse’s day can be very stressful.
Therefore, nurses must prioritize critical things to promote efficiency in their work. There are many ways a nurse can boost efficiency, such as:
- Nurses should keep track of time. Make sure to wake up early to be ahead of your day. Time management will allow you to settle into your work quickly and make your day more productive. Hence time management will lead to efficiency.
- Knowledge is vital in nursing. As a health practitioner, you will never know everything. Every day you will be learning something new. So, keeping an open mind and learning new techniques will help you enhance patient satisfaction.
- Planning will further enhance efficiency. Scheduling your day and breaking it into smaller parts will help you stay on track and make your work easier. It will also lift your mood as it will help you mostly be ahead of your work.
- Lastly, invest in self-care. The work that nurse do can consume their personal life. Therefore, taking breaks and prioritizing personal care is essential to improve work efficiency. In addition, regularly practice things that relieve stress and improve your mood.
4. Empathy
Empathy is the potential to understand and be aware of others’ sentiments. It helps you be more compassionate and assess the situation from different perspectives. Seeing a problem from the sufferer’s perspective gives you a more comprehensive and precise understanding of their circumstances.
Furthermore, empathy is something that does not come to everyone naturally. However, it is a skill that nurses should know and learn. There are a few practices through which nurses can learn empathy:
- Always be curious about your patients, as it’ll help you learn the condition your patients are in. Ask them questions like “how are you feeling?” or “is anything you would like to talk about?”. These questions will increase patient satisfaction and present you as a considerate nurse.
- Say kind things to them. It is essential to let your patients know they look better or are doing better. It boosts their morale and confidence and enhances trust.
- Be a good listener. Patients are sometimes stressed and have no one to listen to them. Hence, nurses should engage in conversation and ask about what’s bothering them.
- It is necessary to understand that they are not just patients but individuals with real lives. It brings emotional value to your service, and as a result, you cater better to your patients.
Conclusion
Nurses play a crucial role in the health care industry. They are the first ones to handle a patient. Thus, their contribution to a patient’s case matters significantly. Therefore, nurses should provide the best experience to patients.
Moreover, many factors can improve patient satisfaction, such as being empathetic, as it helps nurses be kinder and more compassionate.
While factors like efficiency will promote quality and effectiveness, communicating effectively is a skill every nurse should learn. It is a skill that lets you understand the state of your patient more. It will also help you build a strong bond with them
Lastly, equity matters the most. It is a quality that will improve your patient’s experience. Inviting inclusivity will make you a more competent nurse and make your patients feel more comfortable with you.
