Being a nurse is no easy task, but when you genuinely get into the job, it is incredibly rewarding.
There’s lots more to being a nurse than just “doing the rounds” as well. You will be one of the caretakers who spends the most downtime with the patients.
One thing that patients need to help their stay be better is a lot of emotional support. As a nurse, it’s in your power to be able to offer it.
But how does a nurse provide adequate emotional support to their patients? Well, if you’ve found your way onto this page, then you’re in the right place.
We’ll be going over some helpful ways you as a nurse can provide your patients will emotional support (see also ‘How Nurses Can Support Families? Leading The Way Supporting Patients‘) that will ease their minds and make their hospital stay a bit easier. So let’s get started.
Help Patients Adapt To The Hospital Environment
A big thing that can emotionally stress out your patients is just adapting to the hospital environment. No matter how cozy we can attempt to make a hospital, it’s always going to be quite a stressful environment for patients to be in.
As a nurse, you can help. Show your patients around the unit in which they’ll be staying. Give them the chance to familiarize themselves with their environment, this way, they’ll feel more comfortable and “at home”.
While a hospital unit can never truly be home, the more familiar a patient is with the environment, the less stressed they will be.
If your hospital offers any programs or activities, it’s in your best interest as a nurse to suggest your patients take part.
Be gentle in your approach, because some patients will be quite relacant to participate, so don’t force them! Just gently remind them of these activities and the benefits joining in will have for them.
The better the patients know the environment, the more relaxed and comfortable they’ll be. This is better for patients who are staying long-term in the hospital, but it also works for shorter stays too.
Be A Good Listener
As a nurse, one of the key skills you need is to be a good listener, and you’ll be surprised by how effective this trait actually is. Sometimes, patients just want to express their feelings and have a bit of a “moan” about how they are feeling… and this is totally normal!
If you have patients to look after who have just come out of surgery, or they have a painful illness, they need a good listener around so they can vocalize the way they are feeling.
When you are empathetic in your listening approach, this will drastically improve their mental and emotional well-being too.
If your patients feel like you are a good listener, they are more likely to open up and trust you too.
Trust is very important in the relationship between medical professionals and patients. You never know when they might truly need your help, so always keep that option open for them.
Check On the Patient’s Mental Well-Being
You will also have to keep regular tabs on your patients’ mental well-being in order to support their emotional well-being.
From staying in the hospital for long periods of time to taking lots of medication, to everything else they have to go through, your patients’ mental health will start to suffer a bit.
You can do this by observing their behaviour and moods regularly, but if you’ve built up a good relationship with them, you can also just ask them something simple like “how are you feeling today?”.
As soon as you know your patient is suffering mentally, you must do something about it. Sometimes, just talking to them will help, but if you are concerned, refer them to a counselor or a therapist.
As long as you keep tabs on their mental well-being, you can usually stop it from becoming a problem really early on.
Keep Patients Company
One of the best ways to provide your patients with emotional support is to just keep them company. Staying in the hospital can be incredibly lonely for your patients. Their families can only visit at certain times and hours and the patients themselves can’t really leave.
You can keep them company simply by watching tv with them or even playing a board game or two.
See what their interest are, so for example, if you have a patient that loves to draw, maybe have a small art session with them if that’s something that can happen in your unit.
The simplest way to keep them company is honestly to just talk to them. Ask them what they like, what they are looking forward to when they leave the hospital etc.
Some patients might ask you questions about yourself and what you like, and if you feel comfortable enough, you can tell them.
Obviously, you have to keep boundaries because they aren’t your friends, so don’t divulge any work-related information to them or anything inappropriate, but things like what you are watching, your favorite foods, your pets, or anything else like that should be fine.
Expand On Your Nursing Knowledge
In order to provide emotional support that actually works, it’s in your best interest as a nurse to expand on your knowledge and even your nursing experience.
You can learn about and research different diseases and illnesses to better understand them.
This way, when you have patients who are dealing with these particular afflictions, you’ll be able to empathize a lot better and even suggest some things that will help improve their care.
When your patients have better care, their emotional and mental wellbeings will drastically improve.
If you haven’t already, it’s definitely in your best interest and very important for you to learn about the different stages of grief. They will come up a lot in your job as a nurse, so to know and understand them properly is hugely beneficial to you, your patients, and their families.
Show Emotional Support To Their Families
While your patients should always be your top priorities, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer support to their families too (see also ‘Why Is Family Involvement Important In Nursing?‘). They will be going through a lot emotionally and mentally, especially if the patient is in the hospital for a longer, more serious stay.
Ways you can help their families include listening, letting them express their feelings, offering them assistance such as childcare or transportation, always showing compassion, and just being a resource to them.
If the family of the patient feels like you are providing adequate care, the patient and the family are more likely to trust you and not get too stressed.
You want all parties to feel like they are in a safe environment and you are an asset, not a hindrance. Actions always speak louder than words, remember!
Conclusion
Being a nurse is quite a difficult job, but when you get stuck in and really help your patients, it can be a wonderful experience. You are there to care for your patients (see also ‘How Do You Engage Patients In Their Care‘), make sure they are alright, and that they are as comfortable as they can be.
Use the tips we have provided in this article to help you if you are struggling with providing adequate emotional support.