I saw someone make the comment "I care for my patients, not about them". So my questions are:
-Who out there views nursing as getting paid to care "for" patients?
-Who out there feels they get paid to care "about" patients?
-Who feels they do both?
-Who feels that nursing has nothing to do with getting "paid" and they care for people from their heart, not their pocketbook?
Definitions:
care FOR - provide correct professional care and fulfill the patient's needs with no emotional attachment.
care ABOUT - have a genuine heartfelt interest in the outcome of the patient, like one would for a family member or friend.
I personally do not care that much for people other than my family or friends. I just don't have any personal feelings when dealing with strangers. I don't want to seem cold, I am genuinely friendly and personable with most people I meet. I want to provide the best correct care possible and don't like seeing bad things happen to people but I also prefer to leave it at work when I walk out the door. I look at this as a professional career and not so much as a contribution to all of mankind.
- Do you think this type of attitude is a benefit or downfall?
I would think emotionally caring about people, especially in the revolving door of a hospital, might be somewhat mentally draining and stressful at times, does anyone else agree?
Well we're kinda mincing words here IMO, as to me the terms are interchangeable. The caring factor (whether for and/or about) in our work should remain professional. Those who cross boundaries do nobody favors; nurses nor patients. It leads to overfamiliarity and loss of professional respect; something nursing has issues with.
Well we're kinda mincing words here IMO, as to me the terms are interchangeable. The caring factor (whether for and/or about) in our work should remain professional. Those who cross boundaries do nobody favors; nurses nor patients. It leads to overfamiliarity and loss of professional respect; something nursing has issues with.
Crossing boundaries is an excellent point to bring up in this thread. In caring too deeply about those we care for, nurses can make patients dependent upon them, when the strength to heal or endure needs to come from within. I have seen situations many times when the over-nuturing nurse is unavailable and the patient who has become dependent upon that nurse suffers. Certainly nurses need to be warm and caring, but need to keep their mind on the fine line where the relationship becomes detrimetal to the patient instead of therapeutic as is the intention. This is not to say that the nurse should not give that something extra to the elderly patient in LTC who has no family left. That is therapeutic. The patient should not have formed such a bond with the caregiver that they are pining for them when they are not on duty. We are not family in reality and to present as more than we are crosses that important boundary which can do more harm than good.
Well we're kinda mincing words here IMO, as to me the terms are interchangeable. The caring factor (whether for and/or about) in our work should remain professional. Those who cross boundaries do nobody favors; nurses nor patients. It leads to overfamiliarity and loss of professional respect; something nursing has issues with.
Crossing boundaries is an excellent point to bring up in this thread. In caring too deeply about those we care for, nurses can make patients dependent upon them, when the strength to heal or endure needs to come from within. I have seen situations many times when the over-nuturing nurse is unavailable and the patient who has become dependent upon that nurse suffers. Certainly nurses need to be warm and caring, but need to keep their mind on the fine line where the relationship becomes detrimetal to the patient instead of therapeutic as is the intention. This is not to say that the nurse should not give that something extra to the elderly patient in LTC who has no family left. That is therapeutic. The patient should not have formed such a bond with the caregiver that they are pining for them when they are not on duty. We are not family in reality and to present as more than we are crosses that important boundary which can do more harm than good.
Also very well said. I think that some may be thinking that unless you care emotionally for patients, you aren't capable of giving professional, competent care delivered with gentleness, warmth, and compassion while at the same time maintaining an objective outlook. This is the very reason why, if a loved one of mine is in the hospital where I work, I should not be assigned to them as their nurse. Nor would I want to be.
We're probably all trying to say the same thing. While I am at work, I am interested in my patient's progress and welfare, and do all in my power to contribute to a positive outcome; when not at work, I rarely think about what might be going on with them, as I am busy with my own life and family.
I think the concept of maintaining boundaries for therapeutic reasons is very valid.
I care for and about patients. I treat them as I would like myself or a member of my family to be treated. Examples of these include warmth, affection, listening. Caring involves ducking when you need to duck, looking into the reason for a patients violence instead of sedating them for a quiet life. Caring for those who do not care for themselves. Yes! even giving 110% of yourself if needbe. It certainly isn't for the money that's for sure. It is challenging, of course it is, I'm talking several pairs of glasses and a couple of black eyes later. Am I nuts????? sometimes I wonder. However, people don't ask to be hospitalised, they don't ask to become immoboile, they certainly don't ask to get dementia or alzhiemers, or to be torn from family and loved ones and put into a sometimes cold and clinical environment where they don't know anyone.
You can care for and about, and do all of this and still walk away at the end of a shift. If you happen to have a patient that day who pats your hand and says thanks for listening, or tells you that your the only person that's spoken to them that day, then that can only be a good thing to end your day. Knowing you've made a difference to that individuals life, even if it's only been for five minutes. That's how I get my kicks. You just need to find the balance.
I would hate to be in pain, or not to know my name.
I care for my patients. And I try to care for them as best as possible. There are few whom I cared about and that was really difficult, because when they got worse and worse I felt really bad. So I just keep doing the best I can.
I'll second that.
mattsmom81
4,516 Posts
Well we're kinda mincing words here IMO, as to me the terms are interchangeable. The caring factor (whether for and/or about) in our work should remain professional. Those who cross boundaries do nobody favors; nurses nor patients. It leads to overfamiliarity and loss of professional respect; something nursing has issues with.