Abstract
Health is a matter of life and death. Sick people are normally not in a position to take care of themselves and hence need someone to look after them. The health provider, be it a doctor or a nurse, must have certain techniques to provide care hence making the patient more comfortable. These techniques are the basis of this paper.
Introduction
Nurses are the people who spend the most time with patients. It is the nurses who will most like be the first people to observe a change in the patient's condition. It is hence necessary to have the appropriate skills and techniques to take care of the patient. The skills range from communication, health information, billing and diagnosis. These are the same skills that make one a good nurse.
Body
Communication between a nurse and a patient is very important. The nurse has been the source of information should be in a position to know what to say and when to say it. Communication that is well put could even help the patient improve his condition. A good communication session between a patient and a nurse should be full of encouraging words. The nurse should encourage the patient to take medication positively. In the same line, the exchange should be one with a view of positivity on the part of the patient. He should be promised quick recovery and a reinstatement to the normal healthy condition. This is a very helpful way of taking care of a patient because he will take medication positively and in the process heal accordingly.
It is also important for a nurse to have the necessary skills so that he or she can advise the patient accordingly. When a person gets sick, he or she is normally compromised such that one cannot make the right decision even on health matters. They hence rely on the health care providers to help them make a clear decision. The nurse should advise on the next step a patient should take, the procedure to undertake, the doctor to see and at times even the diet to take.
The nurse should aim at alienating the patient's pain and suffering.The nurse should hence be compassionate and always have the patient's interest at heart. By maintaining a calm presence, the nurse could help ease the patient's anxiety. This helps the patient improve his condition because of the serene environment created. It is hence important for a nurse to have the necessary skills to create such a calm environment.
Treating the patient rather than the diagnosis as an important technique in the nursing profession. In this technique, the patient is the center of the procedure and not the diagnosis. It means that before the nurse adopts a technique, he or she will look at the effect the procedure will have. The nurse would hence not consider using a procedure that would make the patient uncomfortable or one that is too expensive without first informing the patient. In utilizing this technique the nurse demonstrates lack of selfishness and he or she proves that she has put the interest of the patient at heart.
A competent nurse is good at keeping health records for the patient. This is another skill that is required in order for a good health service to be provided. Records are very important because they can be used to predict the future behavior of a patient in response to even treatment. In providing care it is hence important to keep the proper medical records. This technique also gives the patient some confidence in the care that he is receiving from the nurse.
Nurses work with different people in proving healthcare. In the hospital, there are different people who interact with patients including the secretaries at the registry, the doctors, sweepers, pharmacists and lab technicians. In such a field with different players playing a key role, the skill of teamwork and cooperation is very important. A misunderstanding on the part of one of the key players could lead to misdirected treatment and this could be fatal on the side of the patient. It is hence very important that as a nurse one should have all the skills required in a team, the skill of tolerance, the skill of patience and understanding.
There is need to understand the patient that one is handling properly. As a nurse, the social-economic study of a patient should be well studied. The care taken by the nurse should not be a cause of social discomfort to the patient and at the same time be economically sensitive. Studying the social status of a patient helps the nurse to create a closer relationship with the patient. The patient also does not feel left out in the whole treatment process. The good relationship contributes positively to the medication that a patient is receiving.
Medical devices that are employed as a nurse in providing healthcare are very important. These devices which include lab testing devices inform the nurse on the condition of the patient that that nurse cannot see. They are hence very important in monitoring the condition of the patient. This would mean that good device that is properly used lead to improved healthcare.
Conclusion
If the above techniques are properly utilized in providing healthcare, the treatment granted to patients will greatly improve their conditions in health. For a nurse to be competent, he or she should employ the above care providing techniques.
