Nursing is perhaps the MOST important profession in the health care system. It’s not only a matter of giving physical care to patients but also understanding what can make them feel better. Nurses are responsible for taking good care of patients and giving them their dignity back even when they are sick or injured.
What Mistakes Should New Nurses Look Out For?
Whether you’ve just qualified as a nurse or you’ve completed your master in nursing education, your school should prepare you for looking after patients and putting their wellbeing front and center. Unfortunately, this task can be very demanding and nurses are prone to making mistakes that can take away from providing care or their patient’s welfare.
Mistake #1: Not Understanding Patient Needs and Priorities
Patients need to be involved in the decision-making process and have the right to feel respected and valued as an individual. Nurses care for the wellbeing of their patients, which means they need to be able to communicate with them effectively and provide them with everything they need.
Nurses should take into account what their patients want or don’t want without assuming that they are spoiled or just end up in hospital for no reason whatsoever.
Mistake #2: Not Having Clear Goals
If a patient’s condition is not too critical, it’s important for nurses to set clear goals for them. This helps people know what treatments are being performed and when, helping to avoid unnecessary procedures.
Mistake #3: Not Being a Good Listener
It’s important to listen to patients because they can give you important information about their condition or needs.
The same is true for family members, who can also help you get closer to your patient. Listening and building a relationship with patients is one of the most effective ways of properly assessing their needs and communicating with them effectively.
Mistake #4: Forgetting That Nurses are Human and May Make Mistakes too
This is a mistake that many nurses and senior staff forget, which leads to poor communication in hospitals. This results in staff feeling stressed and unable to perform properly, eventually leading to errors that result in medical care being compromised.
Mistake #5 Not Giving the Patient Control Over Their Environment
Patients should be able to control their environment. Allowing patients to have the autonomy to choose how they want their care delivered is important in building a positive relationship, which will ultimately help them get through their ordeal and recover faster.
Mistake #6 Not Having Clear Boundaries
Having clear boundaries while still providing care is essential. Nurses shouldn’t get too close to or involved with patients. This is a mistake that many nurses who are also caregivers for family members make, which can result in poor work performance and affect the quality of patient care delivered.
Mistake #7: Not Being Well Prepared
Being well prepared means having all the materials and supplies necessary for providing care. It’s important to have the right resources and other items ready to take care of patients. The more prepared you are, the better your job performance will be, which results in fewer errors made.