So, how do you deal with the family members… like, normally? How do you meet their expectations and work together as a team? We discuss routine communication points with typical family members who are engaged and want to be part of a patient’s care, and how you as a fresh RN can speak to them with confidence.
family and patient support
When Your Patient Starts Crying
One of the first questions you may ask yourself in your nursing career is “How to comfort a crying patient.” Everyone has their own forte’, and for some, providing emotional support to people in crisis can be an OMG WHAT DO I DO moment. It can be uncomfortable. It can be weird. It can be […]
Something You’re Dying to Talk About
Being a critical care nurse, I’ve witnessed quite a few people pass away. I’ve assisted in taking people off of the ventilator to allow them to pass naturally. I’ve cared for patients that are donating their organs. I’ve been there for people when they take their last breath because their loved ones could not bear […]
Sitting Down for Your Patient
I went to NTI in Denver, Colorado this last week. For those of you that don’t know, it’s an annual national conference for critical care nurses. And it’s awesome. I went to a lot of sessions. Some on brain death, some on vasoactive drips, on sepsis, and hyponatremia.. but the ones that hit me the hardest […]
Holistic Nursing Care
Thank you for your blog, and the words you use to instruct and encourage new nurses. I love reading what you have to say, and I have already used your advice when paging a physician during night shift! Definitely helped me prepare and keep my confidence. My question is this: how do you balance your […]
Guest Blog Post: A Wedding in Intensive Care
A few days ago, a Twitter bud of mine, @Terimedwards tweeted: Y’all. We had a wedding in the ICU so a man could see his grandson get married before he dies. #beautiful @NurseEyeRoll And this immediately made me emotional. And immediately made me want her to tell us the story! Teri was gracious enough to […]
Insider Info: What Your Nurse Wants You to Know
Is mom getting admitted to the hospital frequently? Did your grandma just have a stroke and now your life is half-home and half-hospital? Many families experience this and they are more than willing to do anything to make it easier for everyone involved – they just need to know what to do! I’ve been […]
When Patients Die – A Guide For Nurses
How do you react and heal when patients die? This is a sad and emotionally difficult experience for every nurse. And this guide will help you prepare for it or heal from it. When Patients Die – A Sad Reality for Nurses If this hasn’t happened in your young nursey career, it will at some […]
Comfort Care Conversations
As a nurse, having comfort care conversations are some of the toughest ones you will have with a patient’s family. But they have to happen. Here’s how to do them as painlessly as possible. How to Have Comfort Care Conversations With Family Members These can be rough. But they have to happen. When They Happen The […]
Dealing With Difficult Families
You know it’s bad when the first thing the nurse says in report is that the patient is fine but the family…. Let’s talk about difficult families.