Why Having a Good Nurse Is Critical
Whether you are experiencing a medical emergency or visiting the hospital for a routine or elective procedure, you know that you should choose a doctor with knowledge and a practiced hand.
But having a great nurse is just as important to making sure your hospital stay is as safe and successful as possible.
Nursing staff are the heart and hands of the hospital, and a good nurse can make all the difference in the level of care you receive.
Constant Monitoring
During your hospital stay, it is likely that you will see more of your nurses than you do of your doctor. While your doctor’s responsibility is to evaluate you periodically and prescribe your treatments, your nurses are responsible for checking on you throughout your stay.
Far from just writing down your vital signs, your nurse uses vast medical knowledge to note whether or not your vitals are normal, what changes are occurring, and how comfortable you are.
Your nurse will be the first to see if you are in pain, or if your medications do not seem to be working or are causing an adverse reaction.
A good nurse’s attention to detail, observations, and assessments allow any changes in your condition to be detected early, while intervention is easy.
Medications
Nurses are not only in charge of giving patients prescribed medications, but also make point-of-care decisions on which medications should be given and which should be delayed.
If you are experiencing an adverse reaction, about to go home, or have another compelling reason why you should not take your medication at the ordered time, a good nurse can elect not to give you that medication.
Of course, medication decisions are always made under the doctor’s direction, but the nurse is responsible for the medications at the time they are given. Additionally, nurses explain the medications to patients in ways they can understand.
A good nurse has a good understanding of pharmacology and how drugs interact with one another, so that a patient’s questions can be answered accurately.
Doctors are often busy with other patients and procedures, so a good nurse will often be your primary source of information about the drugs or treatments you are receiving and what you can expect when you take them.
An Empathetic Ear
Possibly the most important function of any nurse is to be the patient’s advocate. A good nurse is dedicated to doing what is best for the patients.
Nurses are trained to listen to patients’ complaints with an empathetic ear and try to find a way to solve the problem at hand.
Whether that means giving pain medication or listening to a patient’s concerns about his or her treatment, good nurses offer a compassionate and empathetic ear.
Sometimes, having the support of a good nurse and seeing a friendly and professional face throughout the day can make a difficult hospital stay just a little bit easier to bear.
So you see, good doctor is an important part of making your stay at the hospital a success, but a good nurse is at least as critical.
From noticing changes in your condition, to making sure you get your treatments, to letting you know there is someone on your side, and more, a good nurse can make all the difference.
During your next hospital stay, let your nurses know how much you appreciate all they do.
