Struggling with communication with your patients? These communication tips – Patients and their support systems can help.
family and patient support
S4E33 – How to Deal with Family Members (Who Are Not Mad At You)
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.
When Your Patient Starts Crying
One of the first questions you may ask yourself in your nursing career is “What to do when a patient starts crying.” 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 […]
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 […]
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
When you’re in the hospital, it’s easy to forget that the people who take care of you do care. Nurses and doctors have dedicated their lives to helping people like you during moments of crisis, so they can often be quite busy. But they also want to connect with you as a person. You’re human […]
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
It’s a tough world out there. We’ve all been dealing with the chaos from COVID-19. Wherever you live, you have to deal with overcrowding, poverty, pollution problems caused by people, and machines that weren’t made for living in a city environment. Life can be difficult, but it will always get better. Some pressures and responsibilities […]
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.