Simple and quick nursing interventions to show patients we care

[november17, ASN, RN]

I just wanted some input into some simple and quick nursing interventions I can do for my patients to show them that I hear what they are saying, and show that I care.

I'll give an example, Pt- "My neck hurts!" So I'll ask them to lift up their head and fluff the pillow. Or if they complain that they are hot I'll flip the pillow over to the cool side.

Its not that I think it will solve all their problems, but psychologically, I'm acknowledging that I heard what they're saying and I want to help.

Just looking for quick little interventions I can try to show people that honestly I do care, even if I can't solve all their problems :)

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

Most elderly patients are very cold, as are the ones on blood thinner. NOTHING does it like a warmed blanket.

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

When I have pt's come in with c/o low back pain I get them an extra pillow to put under their knees as well as hot packs to apply to their back to help relax the muscles, plus elevating their legs takes pressure off of the low back.

Hot packs are my godsend, if you get your patient comfy with blankets, pillows, and hot packs (they can put them wherever it feels good), and turn the lights off, BAM them go to sleep lol. makes the wait in the ER go by quicker, and quieter for ME lol.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

{ rant alert} there is no such thing as a "blood thinner." that term confuses people because it makes them think of turpentine in the [color=#00ff00]paint and water in the [color=#d3d3d3]milk. i know perfectly well that a lot of people use it but we are nurses and responsible for patient teaching to a far greater degree than anyone else. how do you explain why someone's taking warfarin or enoxaparin if the patient thinks it's to "thin" his blood and not to decrease its clotting? how do you explain looking out for increased bruising, black stools, or bleeding gums in terms of "thinning"? you can't, not and do a good job. we are giving them anticoagulants so they won't make clot so easily. teach them that. there, was that so hard?

i read a paper once that looked at that "blood thinners make me cold" thing. not true. people are cold in the hospital all the time, i'll grant you that, because, well, it's cold in there and i wouldn't let my cat sleep with one of those rags we call "blankets." (i love the idea of a hot pack in bed!) the patients naturally attribute being cold to the newest thing in their lives, the anticoagulation....but that doesn't make any sense, does it?

ahem. returning to the thread now.

i notice all the time that people slide down in bed a bit and before they know it-- and without knowing it, really-- their heads are on the pillow but there's nothing supporting their necks and shoulders any more. they aren't even aware of the excess muscle tension this causes until you pull the pillow down to support the neck and the shoulders. aaaaahhhhh.

[LynnLRN]

I usually start my shift off by asking my patients what one thing would they like to have happen today (take an actual shower, get their nails painted, get a vegan diet, it could be anything) then I write it up on their bored and make sure it gets done. I find that patients pay attention to that. They don't care that I notice their BP is low, HR is elevated, and they aren't making urine so I call the Dr. and get a bolus (or whatever scenario you want to place here). But they definitely notice the little non medical stuff (such as finding what channel the Maury Show comes on).

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I find sometimes it the simplest things that make pts happy.

I had one pt who wrote my manager about what a great nurse I was and when she came back for a follow-up appointment brought me a bottle of wine! :)

This was about 10 years ago when pts with knee replacements stayed in rehab for at least a week. She was up and about - needed very little nursing care - she was there for the physio. She was healthy - had few meds, Vitals were good, blood work was good - she was basically a "walkie/talkie" that today would have been sent home 3 days post op.

What did I do that made her like me so much? I brought her a fresh towel and face cloth every morning, and a fresh jug of ice water in the am and again in the afternoon. That was it. But to her - it showed her I cared about her basic needs and didn't ignore her because her medical needs were so few.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

It's so often the little things that matter the most. One thing that comes to mind was, probably a year and a half ago, I had a 3 year old patient admitted with a stroke. His admission was prolonged and his recovery was slow and complicated. Once he got to the point where he could sit with support, all he wanted to do was ride around in this little taxi car thing that we had. We had a sign on it so that no one would take it and it would be saved for his room. Well, one day it disappeared. That day as I was leaving the hospital, I saw it outside- someone must have taken it when their child was being discharged. I didn't even think twice about grabbing it and bringing it back upstairs for my patient. The next day, his mom told me over and over again how happy he was to have it back. This patient was back briefly a month or so ago and I happened to be assigned to him... his mom was STILL talking about that night when I found that little taxi and brought it back to them after my shift was over.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I always ask them if their is anything I can get for them within my means, a soda, water, crackers (if they can have any of those things, usually they can't at first in the ER), blanket. I also will ask family if I can get them a beverage. I check on them often.

[Callisonanne]

I work as a psych nurse in a crisis stabilization center. Our interview rooms are super cold so I always offer a warm blanket during the admission assessment. Trust me when or if they have a psychotic break they always remember who cared for them :)

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I've long been in the habit of assessing my most complicated (read: "difficult") patient at the very beginning of the shift. Investing even 10 or 15 minutes in such a person can reap HUGE rewards in decreased call light use over the course of the shift, to say nothing of lower pain and anxiety levels. I've had more patients than I can count tell me that those first few minutes I spent talking with them early in the day set the tone for their entire hospital stay, or turned a nightmarish experience into a better, if not entirely pleasant one.

[exnavygirl-RN]

I love blanket warmers. A warm blanket works as well as an ativan sometimes. One of the facilities I worked had one on the med/surg floor. Ohhh it was so awesome. Agitated elderly person + warm blanky= night night

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

Saying the final good bye to palliative patients. The family appreciates it, and it shows that the pt was more than a pt--he/she make an impact to the nurses' lives.