Bedside manner

Jules A, MSN · Dec 31, 2007

Despite being one of the lucky good test takers, it is kind of sad to me that testing is such a focus. I think that much of a nurses bedside manner is largely dependent on her common sense as a person. Is she professional, caring and mature? I agree 100% that being able to learn the knowledge and successfully test on it is very important but I do think that clinical aptitude is also very important and in my school it isn't weighed as heavily, imo.

Columnist · Dec 31, 2007

Bedside manner is very important. Nursing involves caring for the "whole" patient....meeting their psycholgical needs as well as their physical needs. A good nurse will provide competent, knowledgeable, AND compassionate care. For some people the compassionate part of nursing is harder to grasp than the intellectual part, but it is an integral component to nursing.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

I know of alot of people who are lacking in the bedside manner department. . .Is this no longer inmportant?

More and more hospitals are placing a bigger emphasis on customer service. They inservice new employees from the beginning of their orientation on how they want them to treat the patients. If they don't conform, they put pressure on them until they change their ways or they force them out of the jobs. This is because hospitals are competing for patients these days and how their patients are being treated is a big concern to many of them if they are serious about staying in business. I worked for one hospital that made customer service a top priority. They put every nurse through an 8-hour customer service training program on how to treat our patients. I was a manager in another that made this an important issue and we were instructed by our director of nursing to write people up who were nasty or aloof to patients and other staff--we had specific forms to do this on--she was serious about disciplining these people for their conduct.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

I think bedside manner is included in nursing programs. I was taught to introduce myself, to explain everything to the patient, to be respectful of them and their worldview, their cultural perspective, their rights and value as a human being.

All of these factors add up to good bedside manner.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

I understand complaints many on this board have of various nursing students having very little bedside manner or not being great at clinicals though he/she is a good test taker (see other threads for more information on the latter). However, it is my understanding that nursing school DOES NOT produce great nurses because it is NOT in the business to do so.

Nursing school produces minimally competent nurses as indicated by one's ability to pass the NCLEX (an exam). Thus, students who take tests well and perform average in clinical meet the standards as oppose to those who do not (Yes... get over hating the "A" students because they are doing what they are expected to do to become RNs and LPNs).

Becoming a great nurse requires work experience (i.e. practice). There is NO WAY any student will get enough work experience in clinicals to be considered a great or even a good nurse! So, it amazes me that students on this board are passing judgment on his/her peers based on how he/she performs in clinicals (again see other threads for more details). Minimal competence = Passing Nursing School. "A", "B", and "C" students are minimally competent; no more no less.

As for the real world, Daytonite has eloquently pointed out that most work places are set up to rid nursing of those that have no bedside manner due to the capitalistic nature of health care. Just as the clinical work environment is set up to rid the nursing world of those that do not know science (disease processes, pathophys, A&P, etc.) or basic math (dimensional analysis, med admin, etc.)!

On the other hand, the academic and business world of nursing is desperate and has no such filters in place. Therefore, a good focus of complaint should be nurses without bedside manner who become nursing instructors, clinical educators, or preceptors!!! We all know at least one like my former Med Surg instructor (I am counting down the days until I graduate at the end of this year)!

Happy New Year everyone! :balloons:

Chantilly · Jan 1, 2008

I came into NS like many with no medical experience. However, I did have the advantage of having been a waitress for several years. Oddly enough I think that my experience in the restraunt industry really helped me out. After all dealing with cranky hungry people is a lot like dealing with sick people. So if you have a hard time interacting with people try getting a job waiting tables, where your income is dependent upon your customer service abilities. :lol2:

Freedom42 · Jan 1, 2008

I think bedside manner is included in nursing programs. I was taught to introduce myself, to explain everything to the patient, to be respectful of them and their worldview, their cultural perspective, their rights and value as a human being.
All of these factors add up to good bedside manner.

Beside manner is greatly emphasized in the program I attend. We spend a lot of time talking about cultural competency, the respect we are expected to accord patients, and how to communicate. Given the number of questions related to therapeutic communication on the standardized tests we have to take, I assumed this was the same in other programs.