Introduction
Nurses and other medical practitioners have a responsibility of ensuring that their patients receive quality medical care (Pierson, 2007). This can not be achieved if the nurses lack the required techniques to provide both physical and emotional care to their patients. Optimal patient care is the goal of all healthcare providers and many caregivers fail to achieve this goal due to lack of patient care techniques.
Clinical and communication techniques are very critical when it comes to optimal patient care. Patient care techniques enable nurses to attend to their patients with a lot of confidence (Pierson, 2007). It is difficult for patients to trust nurses with poor clinical and communication techniques. A competent nurse will always instill hope in their patients. This paper will highlight some of the patient care techniques that are very fundamental in the nursing career.
Body
Nurses should always be in a position to take control of any situation that is related to the condition of a patient (Pierson, 2007). A nurse should have good communication skills in order to build a good relationship with the patient. Nurses should be caring and honest in the course of their interaction with a patient. It is not an easy thing to completely win the trust of a patient. Patients can only reveal their personal and health information if they completely trust their caregiver (Pierson, 2007). Nurses should prescribe the right treatments and therapies for their patients without making any mistakes.
Prescription skills are therefore very vital when it comes to patient care. Treating patients as a number or a diagnosis is not a good way of taking care of patients (Pierson, 2007). Patients should be treated as individuals by giving them some special attention. Patients regain their health quickly if they are involved in their treatment. Patients can take control of their personal health if they are involved in making decisions regarding their health. Patients can not take control of their personal health without being empowered by nurses (Pierson, 2007).
Addressing the concerns of patients is important in eliminating any kind of fear or anxiety (Pierson, 2007). Nurses should be able to calm patients in all situations through their compassion and concern. Caregivers should be very careful when answering questions from patients. Questions from patient should be answered in a very wise and intelligent manner. Treating patients with some dignity and respect requires some special skills (Pierson, 2007).
Nurses and other caregivers should always be sensitive when it comes to a patient’s religion, race, age, culture and gender in order to handle them without any kind of prejudice (Pierson, 2007). Nurses can not understand what their patients may be going through if they are not empathetic. Communication is very critical in patient care and nurses should be familiar with basic communication techniques (Pierson, 2007). Patients should feel a therapeutic effect any time they are having a conversation with a caregiver.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nursing is a very demanding profession especially when it comes to patient care. Nurses require some special techniques for them effectively interact and treat their patients. Nurses should demonstrate some practical patient care skills apart from the medical skills learnt in college. Patient care is not an easy task as some people have come to believe. Winning the trust of a patient and getting them involved in their treatment process requires some special techniques (Pierson, 2007). Patient care techniques help nurses to provide appropriate and effective healthcare to their patients.
Reference
Pierson, F. (2007). Principles and techniques of patient care. New York, NY: Saunders Elsevier.