Nurses play one of the most important roles in the perception of patient care. Several studies have proven that the care the nurse provides influences directly how a patient will rate the organization as a whole. There is so much more to nursing care than carrying out provider orders or passing medications. More often than not, it is the nurse who interacts with a patient more than anyone else, especially in a clinical setting such as a hospital or office.
Nurses see patients and their families at their worst. The stress felt by a patient — who we treat during their most vulnerable time — can make the gentlest person act out in ways he or she normally wouldn’t. With all of that said, the nurses role is to ultimately “help the patient” and that can be accomplished in more ways than you can imagine, or that for which we give nurses credit.
Nurses play a vital role in the promotion of health, prevention of illness, the care of the sick, support for the patient at the end of their life, as well as the family. The nurse is the listener — the person who places a gentle hand on the shoulder of the patient, or the wife who just got bad news. The nurse is the advocate for the patient, the one who assists the patient with his or her need that, in normal circumstances, the patient would do for him or herself. It may be a physical need, however, it can be emotional or psychological as well. The nurse stands in for the son or daughter who cannot be present for whatever reason. The nurse also shares in one of the most private and beautiful times, such as the birth of a child. A nurse who acknowledges a patient, introduces him or herself and gives explanations for interventions that decreases anxiety for the patient.
Bottom line: The nurse is pivotal to the patient’s experience and we often forget the power of that influence. While a nurse may get lost in tasks that have to be accomplished on the shift, the connection he or she makes with the patient will have a direct impact on that patient’s perception of his or her care, thus giving them the power as the greatest influence seen by the patient.
