In this article, trust between a nurse and patients is regarded as a key value that cannot be underestimated. It is evident with the realization that nurses play an integral role in all healthcare providing facilities. In fact, it is the nurses that come into contact with patients most of the time. They ensure that the patients take medication as required, check on their progress as well as record various issues pertaining to the wellbeing of the patients. Dinc & Gastmans (2013) assert that patients have no choice but to trust the nurses, particularly when they are unwell. Dinc & Gastmans also describe trust in the healthcare context as the belief by patients that their wellbeing will be taken care of by the healthcare providers, in this case, the nurses. Trust is also regarded as an internal value of nursing practice and an important ethical concept.
Rørtveit et al. (2015) having recognized the importance of trust between the patient-nurse relation, suggest some of the strategies that nurses can employ to boost the relationship. The first strategy is being open and willing to talk. The researchers say that it is not just about talking, but how the nurses talk. Patients will judge the nurses according to how they express themselves. The nurses, therefore, must not only be willing to talk to the patients but must demonstrate concern and care. Even the tone and other non-verbal cues ought to be considered in an attempt to build trust in the patients. Secondly, nurses ought to show that they are professionally competent by doing what is required of their profession. That means that they should avoid any flaws that may make the patients doubt them. Additionally, Rørtveit et al, says that nurses must demonstrate high ethical standards such as treating patients’ private information with the confidentiality it requires.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
There is a considerable difference between the needs of older patients compared to those of younger patients. Consequently, the communication strategies that nurses use on older patients need to align to their needs. As Sheldon (2014) states, older people are affected with several critical factors that need consideration in regards to communication. First, older people may have an impaired sense of hearing which forms part of the physical challenges associated with old age. Secondly, older people have cognitive-related challenges that affect their abilities. According to Said (2013), the most important communication strategy that nurses can employ while dealing with older patients is to allow them to express themselves. That means that the nurse needs to avoid interrupting the patient unnecessarily. Perhaps Said emphasizes on this approach because it is widely noted that older patients are isolated and do not have people to socialize with. Thus, offering them an opportunity to express themselves may be an important step in promotion of wellness. Wang et al. (2017) also suggest that nurses need to adopt a positive language when dealing with the patients. It means that patients should not be discouraged, as that would only worsen their situations.
It is common knowledge that older adults face cognitive challenges when they age, which variously affects the teaching methods of nurses in promoting wellbeing. However, there are several teaching methods, which nurses can use to improve the wellness of the older adults. First, the nurses ought to present information slowly to the patients and give them ample time to process it. It also important that any environmental distractions do not interfere during the teaching sessions. Rørtveit et al. (2015) posit that group teaching may also help older patients to improve on their abilities to solve health-related problems. Additionally, because the health problems may vary significantly, the teaching program ought to be tailored on the individual needs of each patient.
Of importance to note is that the nursing process involves several steps, which include assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The process can serve as an integral procedure in organizing nurse-client teaching situations in several ways. In the assessment and diagnosis phases, nurses understand the conditions that their patients suffer from. Diagnosis ascertains that indeed the patient suffers from a particular suspected condition. The nurse records the condition and its symptoms. It is from this basis that the nurse will develop the treatment and care measures as well as how to implement and evaluate the process (Alfaro-LeFevre, 2014). The nurse will teach the older patients according to their recorded information so that each patient is taught in regards to their needs.
Sources of information for older adults who are cognitively impaired or sensory deprived are varied. Much of the information can be found from healthcare journals that can be obtained from libraries or healthcare centers. The media is also another important source of information especially in the promotion of the wellbeing of older adults. Currently, the internet is also a prominent source of information. Various books or journals can be obtained online. Informative videos can also be watched online. Nevertheless, some assessment parameters need to be considered when devising teaching strategies for the cognitively impaired. The most prominent parameters are two; physical and cognitive ability considerations (Sheldon, 2014). On the physical consideration, the strategy should ensure that older adults who might have hearing impairment understand what is being taught. In regard to cognitive ability, the strategy needs to be in a manner that is easy to understand.
Lastly, there are various tools that can be used to ascertain whether the learner outcomes were met. The first tool would be carrying out routine observations to investigate the progress of the patients (Sheldon, 2014). An improvement in the wellbeing of the patients would suggest that the patients implemented what they were taught. The nurses can also interview the patients to find out how they perceive themselves in regards to their wellbeing. Positive perceptions would indicate the success of the program while negative perceptions might indicate that the teaching program is not effective and probably needs to be revised.
References
Alfaro-LeFevre, R. (2014). Applying nursing process: The foundation for clinical reasoning . Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Dinç, L., & Gastmans, C. (2013). Trust in nurse–patient relationships: A literature review. Nursing Ethics , 20 (5), 501-516.
Rørtveit, K., Hansen, B., Leiknes, I., Joa, I., Testad, I., & Severinsson, E. (2015). Patients' experiences of trust in the patient-nurse relationship-a systematic review of qualitative studies.
Said, N. B. (2013). Nurse-Patient Trust Relationship. Staff.najah.edu . Retrieved 28 March 2018, from https://staff.najah.edu/media/sites/default/files/Nurse_Patient_Trust_Relationship.pdf
Sheldon, L. K. (2014). Communication for nurses: talking with patients . Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Wang, S., Khan, B., & Campbell, N. (2017). Aging and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS): How Can We Provide Integrated, Innovative Care for Older Adults Suffering From Delirium, Dementia, and Depression? The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry , 25 (3), S8.
