Special things you incorporate into your nursing practice?

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Specializes in Ortho, Case Management, blabla.

I work on an ortho floor, and most of the patients tend to be in a lot of pain. Over the past couple of months I've worked in a "chair massage" into my practice. No, it is not for 100% of my patients, but I try to do it as often as I can. I know massage is something that is taught in nursing school, but I rarely see any nurses actually do it. Anyways, I stand behind the patient, talk with them about their goals (basically the stuff that is in the careplan), and give them a shoulder/neck massage. It helps that my wife is a massage therapist who works part time at a corporate headquarters doing chair massage :) She taught me a few things.....

I've actually had a few patients that have commented on how relaxing getting their necks/back rubbed was. I also got mentioned by name in one of those press-gainey surveys about how great of a masseuse I am (lol press gainey sucks but that's for another post).

I know most nurses don't really feel like they have the time for it, and I don't particularly feel like I do either, but I just kind of made a point of making time to do this.

I'm just curious, what kind of things do you make sure you make a point of doing? What sets you apart from all the other nurses in the world?

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

I try to comfort my pts best that I can. For instance, I had an elderly pt the other night who seems to be very scared. I just stood beside his bed for a while and quietly held his hand. This seemed to do so much for him. I felt like I made a difference. Some times it's hard to take the time to do things such as this as we are always so busy. I will try to do more things like this in my future nursing care.....instead of rush rush rush.

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

I'm not afraid to be a patient advocate, even if that means calling the doc at 0200!! If a doc get's nasty, I remind them that I am doing my job, which is first and foremost, to advocate for my patients - they usually back down. :nurse: I've seen many a nurse who is afraid to stand their ground with docs.

Obviously, I won't call at 0200 for colace, but I will call for a sleeper or a change in patient status...

Blessings

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I try really hard to establish a rapport not only with the patient(s) but with their families as well. It makes everything flow so much easier. And with dying patients...I give them lotion rub downs and bring fresh coffee, tea, lemonade, soda, whatever to the families...will move the patient to a private room if I can...bring blankets for the family members to use with the extra bed...and MAKE TIME for the patient and the family.

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in Oncology.

I found when I first started that I would run through a slew of questions during my assessment- nausea? pain? shortness of breath?

More recently I've started asking my patients also how they're doing in general, and how their day was. I've been lead to some amazing insights this way.

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A lot of times it seems to just help a patient to know that you understand their pain. When I worked ortho a lot of procedures, the more painful surgeries etc. came back with a PCA which greatly miniminzed pain. Of course, any increase in pain not relieved, I would call the doctor.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Working ortho, I see this a lot. I do a LOT of education, and try to keep my patients as comfortable as possible.

Personally, i always ask how the day was...if they have anything they really want to know or work on that night, to tell me anything. Usually, we have a few conversations about my scrubs, TV, sports, etc....sports is out the window now that the cubs and white sox lost.....BOOOO!

Even if I'm never mentioned by name, I know that I do the best I can every night...the best thing I can do.

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I'm not a nurse yet, but one night when I was working as an aide and had a restless patient who kept trying to get out of bed unassisted, I sat and sang hymns to her until she fell asleep. I'm not a professional singer by any means but she seemed to appreciate the effort....of course maybe she just stayed in bed after that so I wouldn't come back and sing again...!!!! LOL

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Specializes in ICU.

brush teeth, comb hair and shave patients......amazing what the little things do :smokin:

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

It seems ridiculous that I'd even have to consider this special, but I like to take the ted hose off, wash them, wash off legs, apply lotion, and reapply clean teds. You'd be amazed the number of patients who say that they've had the same ted hose on for three or more days!

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Amazing what the "little things" do. With our crazy schedules, they seem little, but not to the patient who has been possibly stuck in bed for days, perhaps without visitors, etc.

We don't have enough TIME with the people in our care!

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Specializes in SICU.

When I go to Bath and body works I buy some of the small sample size products and use them on my pts (I ask them/their families of course). I work SICU, so for the most part these pts are tubed, in pain, and in definite need of a little aromatherapy. I bought some dollar store hair brushes and keep hair ties and detangler as well to keep the ICU bed head at bay. On the unit we also have these hair washing shower caps that are heated and rinse free so I massage it in for awhile. Pts love it. I think it helps the pts to feel fresh and put together. I think it is good for the families to see their family member/friend clean and smelling fresh as well. In some cases this could be some of their last interactions with their loved ones alive, so I try to make the sensory component a little better. :redbeathe

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