Lessons Nurses Can Learn From Patient Care

Nurses are advocates and prime supporters of their patients in a healthcare setting. No patient-nurse relationship is the same, however, it is true that each nurse-patient interaction has the ability to teach new skills to nurses and foster a great sense of empathy in them.  

Along with on-the-job skills and knowledge that the nursing profession in Canada can teach a nurse, there are many other valuable lessons that nurses learn by doing what they do every day. Below, we will discuss the most valuable lessons nurses can learn from patient care as they go about their daily routine. 

1. Don’t Make Assumptions: There is always room for learning in the nursing profession. Hence, nurses must never assume and be open to asking questions. 

Anytime when there's a doubt, nurses should be open to asking more questions without judging a book by its cover. This lesson ensures clarity and also lets nurses improve their caregiving services. 

2. Trust Your Instincts: Patient care can be a complex endeavour sometimes. There can be situations when something may not feel right about the way in which a patient shares information or probably in the way the patient has or has not been following a medicine routine. 

In all of these situations, nurses must learn to trust their instincts because mostly, they are right. Nursing education and training lay emphasis on trusting your instincts for this reason. If something does not feel right, it probably is not right. 

3. Listen & Observe More: Nurses must get into the habit of listening to what their patients have been saying about their health. It is necessary to observe and listen more while looking at the big picture during assessments. 

Methods such as asking the patients about their jobs, what they like to do, their eating habits, and over-the-counter drug use can be helpful. This way, you will be surprised about what you end up learning about the patient. 

4. Learn From Your Mistakes: As a nurse, one must always be open to learning from other healthcare professionals, seniors, and juniors alike. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. The only thing that matters is how you learn from those mistakes. 

Remember that you do not have to be perfect as a nurse, you just have to try your best. You won’t always be right and that is completely alright. It is okay for you to tell your patients that you do not know what exactly is going on with them until you take suitable suggestions from a specialist.  

5. Believe In Yourself: Your job will need you to work in hospitals, health departments, and offices while caring for vulnerable, scared, and sick people.  

While you do this, it is necessary that you believe in yourself and do your job with conviction. As stated above, do not be afraid to make mistakes or let your self-belief shatter when you do make these mistakes. Rather, step up and keep moving ahead with dignity and humility.  

Conclusion: 

Be it about asking another nurse when you are uncertain about administering a new medication or if it is just about ensuring that the old person whose temperature you are taking knows that they are your priority, the above-mentioned lessons can help immensely in your nursing career. 

Also, once you complete your nursing education, keep an open-minded learning attitude from the get-go. You will be surprised by the amazing lessons that this profession can teach you.