The Importance of Bedside Manner in Nursing

The Importance of Bedside Manner in Nursing - By: Ti - Craig Elliott

The
quality of the care you provide to your patients is important for them
in so many ways. Of course you need to maintain a certain level of
professionalism with patients, visitors, and the medical professionals
you work with. But overlooking the importance of bedside manner in
nursing reduces the quality of the care that you have taken an oath to
provide to the patients under your care.

Doctors are often more
focused on the conditions and symptoms that patients are suffering from
and finding the appropriate course of treatment for those symptoms and
conditions. Due to this situation, their genuine concern for patents is
not always conveyed. This can result in patients not feeling as if they
can or should discuss symptoms they are experiencing, possible
questions they have, and the fears they are keeping to themselves with
the doctor. Many people feel more comfortable sharing this information
with a nurse who has a friendly bedside manner. Therefore it is vital
that you remember the importance of having a good, friendly bedside
manner. You may often be the only bridge between the doctors getting
the information needed to treat the patient better, and a patient
understanding that not fully disclosing these things can seriously
affect the outcome of their treatment.

For patients suffering
from serious illnesses or injuries, the level of bedside manner
provided by the nursing professionals caring for them, often takes on a
greater significance. Your beside manner is integral to the recovery
process of your patients. Think about it from the standpoint of the
patient. Coping with an illness or injury and the treatment they must
undergo for recovery is a time filled with fear and stress. They may
also be dealing with symptoms such as pain, shock, confusion, nausea,
light headedness, stiffness, lessened or complete loss of mobility, and
sleep and appetite changes. The level of fear and stress is often
heightened when a patient is hospitalized for treatment. The unfamiliar
settings of a hospital can be very distressing to patients who are
stressed because they are sick, injured, or having surgery.

Treatments
can be uncomfortable or even painful. Patients may perceive their
conditions to be worse than they are and their prognosis dismal, and
may keep these feelings to themselves. Patients can easily become
overwhelmed by the fear and stress they are feeling and not hear or
understand what the doctor is telling them about their condition, the
recommended treatment, and the risks involved. This will increase a
patient's level of fear and stress which can worsen their condition and
make it harder to treat them successfully. Family and friends may also
increase a patient's level of fear and stress. They are themselves
confused and scared because their loved one is ill or injured. Without
meaning to, they may transfer their fears, confusion, and stress onto
the patient whose body is already struggling under the weight of a
medical condition. In these situations, the importance of bedside
manner in nursing cannot be overstated. Displaying a calm, friendly
demeanor to patients and their families can reassure them and reduce
their fears and stress.

Some people don't have family or friends
who can visit them while they are in the hospital. This can lead to a
patient feeling lonely, sad, and isolated or cut off from the people
and surroundings they know and their normal lives. This can cause
appetitive and sleep difficulties and even reduce the effectiveness of
pain medications for the patient feeling as if they are all alone.
Taking the time to talk to patients and asking them questions helps
them to feel that they are not alone. This also conveys to them that
you care not just about doing your job to the best of your ability: but
also about them. Knowing that someone cares can very often help further
the recovery process even when present treatments do not seem to be
working, or working fast enough.

But even when the condition is
a terminal illness or disease such as Cancer and the prognosis is not a
positive one, bedside manner is important for helping those patients to
be as comfortable and at peace as possible. Your bedside manner will
also mean a great deal to the family members who must come to grips
with seeing a loved one so seriously ill and knowing the end is drawing
near. This is probably the hardest part of nursing. But there is
nothing nobler than ensuring that a person is given dignity, comfort,
respect, and compassionate care as they transition away from this life.

Your
bedside manner is important to the patients you care for in so many
ways as a nursing professional. Never underestimate the power of a good
bedside manner. Take steps so you do not forsake the oath you have
taken to provide quality care to your patients. Remember the importance
of bedside manner in nursing.

Craig Elliott is a freelance writer who writes about topics concerning the nursing profession such as Nursing Uniforms

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