Nursing
Nursing

Nursing Care Comfort: 5 Ways Nurses Are the Beating Heart of Healthcare

The greatest advocate in your time of need as a patient is a nurse. Nursing care is our constant companion during our vulnerable and most trying times. As Carrie Latet says, “A nurse will always give us hope, an angel with a stethoscope.” This hope gets us through our sickest times, when we feel we have little more to give.

Published:
7
June 2024
Smiling nurse at work.

There are approximately 3 million nurses working for your health nationally. For an impressive 22 years, the most trusted profession in the US is nursing care. Because of their high patient care standards, nurses are our lifeline in sickness. 

They are essential caregivers because they foster patient relationships and provide vital doctor-patient collaboration in this way. With their patient-centered approach, here are 5 ways nurses are the beating heart of healthcare: 

1. Champions of Comfort

Nurses are always there when we need them. A recent study identified that, nurses provide the most time-intensive patient care at 86% of the time while only 13% of the time is spent with physicians. In fact, for overnight stays, that amount of time was even greater. 

Such critical patient exposure gives nurses crucial insight into patients’ health habits, wants, needs, and concerns. As such, nurses become important advocates for quality patient care. This essential healthcare component is called the “pillar of nursing” by the American Nursing Association.

Nurses make it their job to ease our worry and calm our fears. Their emotional support comes at the most critical times of our lives. When we’re too stressed to fully understand what’s at stake, nurses patiently explain everything to us. They champion our comfort in ways few others can.

Masters of the Calming Touch

Ever by our bedside, nurses give us their hand to hold and speak with a soothing voice to reassure us. Their calming presence relaxes us. Even in their hustling workday, nursing care provides us a safe and supportive atmosphere where we can focus on healing. 

Pain Warriors

Nursing care champions our distress and discomfort as nurses attend to our pain management and wound care. They anticipate our recovery needs before others and even ourselves. Such frontline attention sets a premium standard of care. This ensures our healing journey is comfortable and faster.

Comfort Beyond the Physical

Nurses treat the whole person and not just the illness. Such holistic care is attentive to our complete recovery journey. Nurses advocate for our best interests and restored emotional wellbeing. Nurses are celebrated for their empathy because they somehow make us feel like we are their only patient. They give you the peace of mind you need to put yourself and your healing journey first. 

2. Partners in Healing

Because nurses advocate for quality patient care, they must collaborate effectively with physicians, health administrators and concerned family members. 

Doctor-Patient Bridge

Nursing care acts as the information bridge between doctor and patients. They clearly explain the technical diagnosis, complicated treatment plans, and prognosis. In this way, they empower patients to decide on their best treatment decisions and healing pathway. 

Entrusted, Go-to Caregiver

A nurse might notice a critical but missed patient response and share it as helpful. Or a family member might share a patient's behavior that could inform the doctor’s treatment decision. 

A nurse might also collaborate with a doctor’s office to ensure follow-up care is arranged. They might also obtain informed consent with that office for information sharing. It is this collaborative spirit that inspires nurses to provide the best patient treatment possible.

3. Knowledge Powerhouses

In the US, health literacy is a challenge among patient populations because it is generally low. Health literacy is the ability to understand health information in order to make informed treatment plan decisions. In fact, 9 out of 10 patients struggle with using their health literacy. The vast knowledge needed to make medical decisions often intimidates patients and reduces the questions asked.

Healthcare Navigators

Nursing care plays a critical role in helping their patients discern their healthcare options to make better decisions. Nurses spend the most time educating patients on factors affecting treatment care, medication side effects, explaining physician visits, and discussing proper health habits.  

Lifelong Learning Crusaders

Nurses have a growth mindset when it comes to learning how to better serve their patients. They are always ready to learn more about the ever-evolving medical landscape. From gaining certifications to attending conferences or online courses, nurses hone their lifelong learning daily. 

Best practice education ensures that nurses can provide state-of-the-art patient treatment. And they are also generous to share their knowledge with other practitioners and healthcare providers.

4. Tech Wizards

Nursing care is an increasingly tech-heavy profession. Front-line nurses handle complex medical equipment, track and interpret results, and decipher patient vitals. Routinely, they properly administer healthcare machinery to provide optimal patient treatment. 

Digital Pros

Nurses are the go-to experts with the tech savvy needed to keep the entire operation functioning. They operate pumps, keep pace with vital sign displays, and troubleshoot technical issues. This digital landscape requires that nurses ensure tech devices run smoothly.

Data Detectives

Nurses help patients daily to reach out to telehealth services, use online patient portals, and access healthcare apps. Patients and their families depend on nurses to ensure ongoing seamless care,  be it in-person care or digitally.    

5. Unsung Heroes

Nurses put in thankless, long hours. They are faced every day with life-defining patient situations that demand their full presence. Yet, they do not get the appreciation they deserve often enough. Their dedication and resilience earns them the reputation of being “angels with a stethoscope” indeed. 

Nurses are often deeply in touch with why they are here to advance patient healing. As such, they source gratitude from an intrinsic sense of purpose. Being on the front-lines of healthcare, nurses are the unsung heroes because they save lives, better ailments and prevent new conditions from arising.

At Achieve Test Prep, we celebrate nurses and aspiring nurses every day. We admire the resolve and dedication it takes to become an angel with a stethoscope and are here to support you on your journey. 

We provide TEAS, HESI PAX, KAPLAN, NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN exam preparation. Whether you're on your path from LPN to RN or BSN, RN to BSN, from CNA or medical assistant to RN or even healthcare administration, we’re here when you need us. Achieve Test Prep makes it even easier to earn college credit by exam. Hear why our satisfied clients love us. We welcome you whenever you’re ready to take the next step with us.

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